As noted via a WWE press release earlier this week when the company announced its’ global expansion for the WWE Network, a one-month subscription to the digital service will now run you $12.99, as opposed to the single month price of $19.99 that they initially offered.

Apparently WWE’s marketing has discovered that the average viewer of the WWE Network uses the service twice a week — or eight times a month — as opposed to only using it for the pay-per-view on a given month and nothing else.

Based on that, at the new single-month price of $12.99, the mentality is that instead of ordering the service strictly for the big pay-per-views, the subscriber will stick with it for a full year.

As noted in a press release posted on the website earlier today, WWE announced the official international expansion of the WWE Network. In addition to the international expansion, WWE announced in the press release that the monthly price point has been decreased from $19.99 to $12.99.

Below is the excerpt from the press release that addresses this price change:

“or $9.99 (U.S. dollars) per month with a six month commitment, fans will have access to 24/7 programming, all 12 live WWE pay-per-view events, and the most comprehensive video-on-demand library. In addition, subscribers can now choose a monthly offering at $12.99 (U.S. dollars) with no commitment and the ability to cancel at any time. The $12.99 price point is a change from the previously announced $19.99 monthly plan and allows WWE to offer an option with no commitment that we believe better reflects the variety of economies that exist internationally.”

WWE issued the following on Tuesday:

For Immediate Release

WWE® NETWORK GOES GLOBAL

STAMFORD, Conn., August 12, 2014 – The U.S. English language version of WWE Network is available starting today, on an over-the-top basis, in more than 170 countries and territories, including Australia, New Zealand, Hong Kong, Singapore, Mexico, Spain, and the Nordics, among others. The network is expected to be live in the U.K. by this October and plans for the network in Italy, UAE, Germany, Japan, India, China, Thailand and Malaysia will be communicated at a later date.

For $9.99 (U.S. dollars) per month with a six month commitment, fans will have access to 24/7 programming, all 12 live WWE pay-per-view events, and the most comprehensive video-on-demand library. In addition, subscribers can now choose a monthly offering at $12.99 (U.S. dollars) with no commitment and the ability to cancel at any time. The $12.99 price point is a change from the previously announced $19.99 monthly plan and allows WWE to offer an option with no commitment that we believe better reflects the variety of economies that exist internationally.

Like other digital subscription services, such as Netflix and Hulu Plus, fans are able to subscribe online by going to WWE.com and clicking on the WWE Network button on the top right corner of the navigation bar. Throughout the day, WWE Network will be made available internationally across all platforms including web, mobile, gaming consoles and connected devices.

Additionally, WWE today announced that WWE Network will be available by tomorrow on Sony internet connected TVs, Blu-ray Disc players and Blu-ray Home Theater systems. By this Friday, WWE Network will be available on Samsung Smart TV devices, Blu-ray Players and Home Theater systems.

For a complete listing of WWE Network availability by country and device, please click here.

About WWE

WWE, a publicly traded company (NYSE: WWE), is an integrated media organization and recognized leader in global entertainment. The company consists of a portfolio of businesses that create and deliver original content 52 weeks a year to a global audience. WWE is committed to family friendly entertainment on its television programming, pay-per-view, digital media and publishing platforms. WWE programming is broadcast in more than 150 countries and 30 languages and reaches more than 650 million homes worldwide. The company is headquartered in Stamford, Conn., with offices in New York, Los Angeles, London, Mexico City, Mumbai, Shanghai, Singapore, Munich, Dubai and Tokyo.

Additional information on WWE (NYSE: WWE) can be found at wwe.com and corporate.wwe.com. For information on our global activities, go to https://www.wwe.com/worldwide/.

The following matches were taped at Full Sail University in Winter Park, Florida for tonight’s edition of NXT TV on the WWE Network:

Tournament Match
– Jason Jordan and Tye Dillinger vs. Enzo Amore and Big Cass

– CJ Parker vs. Xavier Woods

– Bayley vs. Eva Marie

Tournament Match
– Sami Zayn and Adam Rose vs. Tyson Kidd and Justin Gabriel

Last night’s Raw was held in the supposedly great state of Texas. Fans in attendance were treated to the return of Mark Henry, as well as an entertaining contest between Dean Ambrose and Alberto Del Rio.

Although John Cena and Brock Lesnar were both notably absent on Sunday, the WWE did their best to promote the SummerSlam main event. As always, a few questions were answered on Monday, but many still remain. Here are five questions that need to be answered following Monday’s Raw.

5. Did Fans Witness the Burial of Cesaro?

It is no secret that the WWE has no idea what to do with Cesaro right now. Once one of the most over superstars in the company, Cesaro has been relegated to minor roles since the return of Brock Lesnar. After failing to join the Authority a few weeks back, Cesaro has been in a slump, once again losing to Dolph Ziggler in a short match on Monday.

There are rumors that Cesaro’s push is being limited because the company wants to focus on pushing Roman Reigns. It makes sense to want to promote a young superstar, but others who got over on their own should not be punished as a result. Let us hope that the company soon finds something for Cesaro instead of wasting his talent.

4. Which Stipulation Will Dean Ambrose Choose?

Dean Ambrose and Seth Rollins competed in a beat the clock challenge last night, with the winner having the ability to choose the stipulation for their match at SummerSlam. Ambrose won after a long battle with Alberto Del Rio, and also assured Seth Rollins would not win his match with Heath Slater.

The Lunatic Fringe now gets to choose the stipulation at tonight’s SmackDown taping (check in tonight for spoilers if you’re too eager to wait until Friday). He will probably choose something typical like a no-holds barred match, but here’s to hoping he chooses a ladder match for the contract. Which stipulation do you think Ambrose will choose?

– The WWE Network will premiere in the United Kingdom on October 1st.

– Hulk Hogan’s appearance next week on RAW will be a Birthday Celebration with special guests. Hogan turns 61 next Monday.

– After Monday’s WWE RAW from Austin, Texas went off the air, Stephanie McMahon and Triple H left before the ring was cleared and The Bella Twins helped to the back.

The dark main event saw Roman Reigns, Dean Ambrose and Big Show defeat Bray Wyatt, Randy Orton and Seth Rollins in a six-man match.

This is the second consecutive week that Big Show wrestled after RAW.

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– WWE has acknowledged internally that many WWE Network subscribers are sharing their accounts with others, allowing multiple users for each account. The company is reportedly considering disabling this feature to encourage more sign-ups from the people using shared accounts.

– WWE legend The Undertaker will be making his first-ever appearance at Wizard World Comic Con in Austin, Texas on Friday, October 3. He will sign autographs and pose for photo opportunities from 4:30 – 8:30 p.m. Wizard World CEO John Macaluso said:

“We are honored to announce The Undertaker’s first Wizard World appearance. The Undertaker is one of the most recognizable entertainment figures in the world, and this will be a memorable experience for the entire WWE Universe.”

There is said to be a feeling among talent and staff in WWE that the television announcers seem too “disingenuous” when promoting the WWE Network as “like Netflix, but better.”

Initially, the tag-line was “like Netflix for WWE, but better,” however they made the change because WWE feels that the combination of the live stream and on-demand library is a big deal.

Apparently WWE talent are big fans of Netflix, as it’s one of the more convenient ways to watch television shows and movies on the road.

Above is a video of Triple H announcing the third NXT live special on the WWE Network, “NXT Takeover 2,” at the NXT television tapings on Thursday evening in Winter Park, Florida.

NXT Takeover 2 is scheduled to air live on the WWE Network on September 11th, with the following matches official thus far for the show:

NXT Championship
– Adrian Neville (c) vs. Sami Zayn vs. Tyler Breeze vs. Tyson Kidd

NXT Women’s Championship
– Charlotte (c) vs. Bayley

NXT Tag Team Championship
– The Ascension (c) vs. Sin Cara and Kalisto

Hair vs. Hair Match
Enzo Amore & Colin Cassady vs. Sylvester Lefort & Marcus Louis

WWE Hall of Famer has published a new blog, which you can read in its entirety at JRsBarBQ.com. In this installment, JR wrote at length about the WWE Network, WWE’s ongoing cost-cutting measures, Thursday’s episode of Impact Wrestling and more.

Regarding the WWE Network, JR still believes that it will be a good investment for the company in the long term as it continues to evolve. “By lowering the company’s overhead, cutting the fat, so to speak, WWE will have more realistic numbers in place that will positively affect the Network’s financial impact on the company,” he said.

JR says that WWE has to service two audiences with the Network, both current fans who are looking to supplement WWE television programming and older fans who enjoy watching archived content.

As for how WWE can better promote the Network, JR suggested WWE Superstars talk about it “organically” on television and on Social media. “Things like having their stars talk about what they watched this week on the WWE Network goes a long way in promoting the future of WWE which is the WWE Network,” Ross wrote. “We rarely hear that … A tweet from John Cena, for example, on what he’s watching goes a long way.”

WWE cut 7% of their staff this week to reduce costs. While it’s unfortunate that many people lost their jobs, “Cutting the fat, whether it be to our own bodies or to a company’s overhead, is never a bad idea and it appears that through trial and error in a public forum of being a publicly traded company that WWE seemingly has a better handle on what they should and should not be doing from an infrastructure standpoint within the corporate world.”

He encouraged WWE to regularly evaluate their roster and identify Superstars who have hit the “glass ceiling” and might need to be ‘taken out of rotation’ in order for the company to maximize the return of their roster and find ‘the next WrestleMania main eventer.’ “If WWE can get one, or preferably more, stars white hot, many of their issues will be addressed.  The TV ratings will increase, live event ticket sales will surge as will merchandise sales, etc.”

He added that WWE’s talent recruitment efforts could be their best chance at reaching this goal.

There’s much more to the blog, you should check it out at JRsBarBQ.com.

It was announced today that WWE released approximately seven percent of their staff today, which is around a total of 55 employees, as part of their massive budget cuts to offset losses from starting up the WWE Network.

According to one source, Vince McMahon sent out an e-mail today to notify WWE employees that the current staff reduction process is now complete. Basically, anyone who wasn’t cut today is still employed by the company moving forward.

– The name of the third NXT live special scheduled to air on the WWE Network on September 11th is “NXT Takeover 2.” The show was confirmed by Triple H during the NXT television tapings in Winter Park, Florida on Thursday evening.

– The following is the NXT preview for tonight’s show on the WWE Network, which comes courtesy of the official WWE YouTube channel.

During the WWE NXT television tapings on Thursday in Winter Park, Florida, WWE COO Triple H announced that the next live NXT special on the WWE Network will take place on September 11th.

Much like the previous NXT specials, “Arrival” and “Takeover,” the upcoming NXT special on 9/11 will be a two-hour live show.

It was also noted that all of the NXT titles will be on the line at the next NXT special and the new NXT General Manager will be revealed.

– There continues to be discussions within WWE about the idea of bringing on outside advertising to the WWE Network as a way to increase their profits.

– The following is the official trailer for Kayfabe Commentaries’ new “Timeline: History of WWE – 1992 – Bret Hart” DVD.

The checks for this year’s WrestleMania were sent out to talent this past week and mostly everyone should have received them at some point within the past few days.

The only word going around right now is that the payoffs were better than people were fearing they would be, but around what everyone pretty much expected.

Originally, talent feared that because of the situation surrounding the WWE Network and the confusion as to how that affects pay-per-view bonuses, as well as the video game royalties coming in much lower than expected, talent were expecting WrestleMania checks to be much smaller than they actually ended up being.

WWE has announced their 2014 Second Quarter Results, including an updated subscriber count for the WWE Network. Here are some highlights from the press release and investor conference call:

– WWE Network had 700,000 subscribers as of June 30th, a net addition of 33,000 subscribers. They gained 161,000 new subscribers and lost 128,000 during the second quarter .

– WWE Network is going International on August 12th, premiering in Canada, Australia, New Zealand and Mexico.  The WWE Network hits the UK until October.

– WWE Network will be introducing a new payment plan structure later this year. You can still pay $9.99/mo with 6-month commitment, or pay $19.99 month-to-month at $19.99. The monthly plan is still an excellent value for fans who want to buy pay-per-views ala carte without a 6-month commitment.

– WWE Network is launchig on some smart TVs and Blu-ray players in mid-August.

Here’s the WWE Network section from the WWE 2014 Second Quarter Results press release:

The quarter was highlighted by the ongoing ramp up of WWE Network, which attracted gross additions of 161,000 subscribers since WrestleMania on April 6th and ended the quarter at 700,000 subscribers, reflecting a net addition of 33,000 subscribers. To drive ongoing subscriber growth, the Company continues to execute a five-part strategy that includes making the network available in new geographies, creating new content, expanding distribution platforms, developing new features and enhancing its marketing. Critical aspects of this strategy include making WWE Network available in international markets and completing a new partnership with Rogers Communications, which provides the rights to distribute the network in Canada.

• Customer Engagement: Viewer data indicates that, on average, 91% of subscribers access the network at least once per week and use 2.5 devices to consume network content. Moreover, consumer research indicates that 90% of subscribers are satisfied with WWE Network (with 51% extremely satisfied and 39% somewhat satisfied).
• International Availability: The Company plans to make the U.S. version of WWE Network available on an over-the-top basis starting August 12th in over 170 countries and territories, including Australia, New Zealand, Hong Kong, Singapore, Mexico, Spain and the Nordics, among others. The network is expected to be live in the U.K. by October 2014. Plans for the network in Italy, UAE, Germany, Japan, India, China, Thailand andMalaysia will be communicated at a later date.
• Canada: The Company has entered into a new 10-year partnership with Rogers Communications, a leading media enterprise in Canada, under a landmark television programming and WWE Network agreement. The partnership facilitates the launch of WWE Network as a traditional a-la-carte Pay-TV channel in Rogers cable systems with a preview beginning August 12 and thereafter through other Pay-TV providers outside Rogers footprint. The partnership also renews Rogers license of the Raw and SmackDown television programs, and grants Rogers distribution rights to the Company’s pay-per-views.
• Consumer Marketing: To enhance awareness, additional marketing investment is planned around the popular SummerSlam pay-per-view event in August. The Company will also introduce new payment plans in August, including a $19.99 monthly plan (with no commitment) and an upfront one-time payment option for its existing $9.99 per month offering (with six month commitment).
• Other Developments: Content coming to WWE Network includes The Monday Night War and WWE Rivalries, the most recent addition to the networks program schedule, both of which provide a documentary-style look at some of the greatest moments in WWE history. Expanding current distribution, WWE Network is launching on several smart TVs and Blu-ray players in mid-August. The Company also plans to deliver a new “resume play” feature later this year.

News broke today that Spike TV would not be renewing their television deal with TNA. The company – which is owned by Dixie Carter and currently employs Vince Russo – has had financial difficulties in the past.

In fact, it has almost become a joke to post pictures of TNA crowds on social media websites in recent weeks, as they more closely resemble the crowds one would find at a small county fair, not a touring professional wrestling promotion.

This recent TNA crowd perfectly illustrates why the company is having a hard time securing a television deal.

Although Spike TV decided not to renew TNA’s contract, the current deal still runs through October, providing the company with a few months to find a new home for Impact Wrestling. Initial reports indicate that there is little chance of that happening, however, as few cable providers will be willing to pay the company what Spike TV was paying to air TNA programming.

With their television revenue gone at the end of October and poor ticket sales not bringing in enough to keep the company afloat, Monday’s announcement was likely the death of TNA. With that said, it will be interesting to see if TNA’s departure from the world of televised wrestling will affect the WWE.

After acquiring WCW in March of 2001, the WWE held a virtual monopoly on the world of televised wrestling in the United States. That monopoly was eventually broken after Jeff Jarrett founded TNA in May of 2002. Although TNA has never provided the same level of competition that WCW brought to the table during the 1990s, it at least prevented the WWE from acting as a monopoly.

Other promotions have gained a sizable following in the United States (ROH, CZW, etc.), but TNA has been the only company the WWE had had to worry about finding on television.

WWE has ordered new championship belts reflecting promotion for the WWE Network and the new company logo.

The logo that will be used on the new belts is the same one that was first introduced in December at the WrestleMania press conference in San Jose, California, and is the one that will be used for everything beginning in a couple of weeks.

The WWE Championship, Intercontinental, United States, Tag Team and Divas titles will all be updated with the new logo.

This is a major order for WWE, since the company has many versions of each title, including ones for television, photo shoots and house shows.

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(Credit: Wrestling Observer Newsletter)

Prior to the launch of the WWE Network, it was reported that WWE would be looking to get their content removed from YouTube, however to this day a considerable amount of it remains.

Apparently this is a move done by design, as WWE V.P. of Digital and Print recently told the Digital Sports Fan Engagement Conference that the company would not go after their content on YouTube as they feel it’s better to leave it easily accessible, despite it being illegal, as it gets fans hooked on the product and thus make them more likely to want to spend money for a product such as the WWE Network.

WWE will, however, go after specific content on YouTube. Generally more recent items, but they do allow a considerable amount to remain.

– The following matches will take place on tonight’s episode of NXT on the WWE Network:

• NXT Champion Adrian Neville vs. Rusev
• NXT Women’s Champion Charlotte vs. Summer Rae
• NXT Tag Team champions The Ascension vs. Jonny Vandal and Aaron Solow
• Tyler Breeze vs. Mojo Rawley
• Kalisto and Sin Cara vs. The Vaudevillians

– WWE is heading “down under” next month for a tour of Australia. Here’s the advertised card for all three shows on the tour:

• Roman Reigns vs. Kane in a Street Fight w/special referee Ric Flair
• Chris Jericho vs Bray Wyatt
• US Champion Sheamus vs. RVD vs. Cesaro
• Tag Team Champions The Usos vs Rowan and Harper
• Diego vs. Fandango
• R-Truth vs. The Miz
• Kofi Kingston vs. Bo Dallas
• Nikki Bella and Emma vs. Alicia Fox and Layla

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The following matches were taped at Full Sail University in Winter Park, Florida for tonight’s edition of WWE NXT on the WWE Network:

– The Vaudevillains vs. Colin Cassady & Enzo Amore

– Xavier Woods vs. CJ Parker

– Sasha Banks vs. Alexa Bliss

– Adam Rose vs. Jason Jordon

– Tyson Kidd vs. Sami Zayn

WWE recently issued the following WWE Network BETA information for international users:

“Great news! WWE Network will soon be available internationally, and you’ve been selected to participate in the test program to provide us feedback. But you’ll have to hurry! This test program is limited to the first 2,000 respondents only.

You will get FREE access to all that WWE Network has to offer including:

Every WWE, WCW and ECW pay-per-view event
24/7 programming
More than 2,000 hours of on-demand content, uncut and uncensored

And much, much, more!

It’s simple and FREE. Click here to login with your WWE.com account. This will entitle you to free access to WWE Network through August 4.

For this test program, you can watch WWE Network from your computer, or download the WWE app on your Apple or Android mobile device.

By redeeming your free access to WWE Network you are participating in our test program for which you agree to complete an evaluation form to provide feedback on your experience with WWE Network before August 4th. This brief evaluation will take less than 10 minutes to complete.”

– WWE confirmed the CM Punk “Best in the World” documentary for Tuesday night on the WWE Network.

– Also announced on RAW was a need match for this Sunday’s WWE Battleground pay-per-view, as Rusev takes on Jack Swagger.

Many WWE Superstars and Divas remain upset over pay, specifically, their royalty checks. Despite the unhappiness, there’s a general feeling that there is not much they can do about it for now.

With WWE phasing out the pay-per-view aspect of their revenue model, building the subscriber base of the WWE Network is now the company’s top priority.

WWE still needs approximately 1.3-1.4 million monthly subscribers to break even on the WWE Network. If the WWE Network ever tops 2 million subscriber, WWE will be more profitable than it has ever been.

WWE will announce the latest WWE Network subscriber count at the end of this month. With the company announcing 667,000 subscribers back in April, 850,000 subscribers is seen as the next big milestone. Anything less than that will be seen as a disappointment from WWE and Wall Street.

The company is still hoping to reach 1 million subscribers by the end of the year and will be pulling out all the stops with loaded pay-per-views to achieve this goal.

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(Partial Source: Wrestling Observer Newsletter)

– WWE will be airing a WCW special in place of the RAW Backstage Pass post-show this week on the WWE Network. The official synopsis for the WCW special reads as follows:

“The Very Best of Nitro showcases the groundbreaking Cruiserweight Division, celebrities and the introduction of the Nitro Girls!”

– The latest edition of WWE’s “30 Second Fury” features Bray Wyatt. You can check out that video below.