Last Monday at 9am, the WWE Universe collectively transformed into a congregation resembling something out of AMC’s the Walking Dead, sporting a nearly insatiable appetite that could only be fulfilled by consuming massive amounts of classic wrestling.
However, many realized they would be going to bed hungry, as the website’s launch was anything but smooth and the Network was inaccessible for most and laggy for those who were lucky enough to reach the Promised Land (I’ll reluctantly refrain from making an Obamacare joke).
After several apologetic e-mails, it seems most of the kinks have been worked out. With that said, there is certainly room for improvement, despite the fact that the Network is a great value at only $9.99 per month. Here are five possible ways to improve the WWE Network.
1. Netflix-esque Queue
This would be a very convenient feature, as it would allow for viewers to save their favorite pay-per-views and other episodes into a queue for easier access. It isn’t imperative right now, but after more content is added, it would be nice to not have to browse through the entire library to find a particular episode.
Instead of having to remember which WrestleMania Rewind episode was viewed last or where one left off on their third time through the invasion angle, users could simply add the unviewed episodes into an organized queue for quick, easy access.
2. Save Viewing Positions
I said the queue is not currently imperative; this feature without a doubt is. As I was watching last week, the site repeatedly crashed and I had to find my position again while using a navigation bar that was far from accurate. Needless to say, I spent more time wanting to bodyslam the clunky interface than I did watching in-ring action.
They have made it a bit easier by adding various checkpoints on the navigation bar to show where the matches begin and end, but it still does not save one’s position after exiting the program. With most pay-per-views clocking in at over three hours in length, it seems reasonable to assume many will not watch the entire thing in one sitting. The ability to simply close out the site and have the viewing position saved (similar to Netflix) would definitely be a welcomed feature.
3. Broadcast Dark Main Event
During the past few weeks, the RAW post-show has been broadcast live from the arena, and the dark main event has been cut as a result. This past week, they showed what happened after RAW on the post-show with the Big Show and John Cena coming to save Daniel Bryan from the Authority.
I believe they should continue to broadcast the post-show live from the arena, but have the dark main event be featured each week. Sure, it doesn’t always pertain to the storyline, but I don’t think many wrestling fans will complain about additional in-ring action and it could help boost viewership for the post-show.
4. Push Notifications
Push notifications would provide another way for smartphone users to utilize the WWE App. Imagine having the ability to set a reminder for live events and then have a notification pop up a few minutes prior.
This feature would have been beneficial during last week’s NXT Arrival event, as I was distracted and missed the first few minutes of the event (not that I didn’t miss a good portion of it anyway thanks to a Network malfunction). Push notifications would be useful for Network users because they would provide a simple way to set reminders for live events within the WWE App.
5. Offline Viewing
I will say right off the bat, this will probably never happen. McMahon and company would be worried about users downloading all of the most desired classics and bolting on the service. There are ways it could work, however.
It would be possible for the WWE to set up a system where one or two events could be downloaded into the WWE App while connected to Wi-Fi and then accessed offline later. If one were hoping to download more events, he or she could simply delete the current downloads and replace them with new items. Urban commuters would benefit greatly from this feature because cellphone service is usually spotty in subway stations and it would provide an entertaining way to kill a boring trip to work.
Ultimately, the WWE Network seems like a great product. The first order of business is ensuring that the service is accessible from all streaming devices in high definition. Afterward, one can only hope that developers will look for ways to improve the user interface. There is no denying the fact that the sheer amount of content is mind-blowingly impressive, but the current design and layout does leave a bit to be desired.
Sound off in the comments regarding your experiences with the WWE Network thus far. What do you love? What do you loathe? What features would you like to see added?