Beech Tree News Network

The final entry into my network and app origins series is WWE Network.  The Network launched on February 24, 2014 in the United States and August 12, 2014 in Asia.  A year later, the network debuted in the United Kingdom, Republic of Ireland, Italy, India and the Middle East.  2016 saw the network debut in Japan, Germany, Austria and Switzerland.  

WWE announced plans to launch WWE Network in 2011 as a pay TV channel.  WWE surveyed fans for their thoughts about their network airing their pay-per-view’s to their subscribers at no additional cost.  Footage from Raw, Smackdown, classic WWE shows, events, other promotions as well as original programming are just a bit of what is on the network.  

On January 27, 2015, WWE announced they had reached 1 million subscribers.  Six months later, WWE revealed the amount of subscribers for the Network at 1.156 million.  In April 2017, WWE announced a total of 1.949 million subscribers to WWE Network.  1.661 million of those were paid subscribers as opposed to the free version.  

WWE Network is currently available through 186 of 193 United Nations member states(including all 27 European Union nations) and two observer states such as The Holy See and the State of Palestine.  It is distributed through six non-U.N. countries: The Republic of China(Taiwan), the Cook Islands, Kosovo, Niue, Northern Cyprus and SADR-claimed Western Sahara.

In late 2017, Liechtenstein and PRC-controlled Mainland China were added to the list of non-available countries, however the WWE Network is still available in Chinese special administrative regions of Hong Kong and Macau as well as ROC-controlled Taiwan and Fujian.  

On March 23, 2020, WWE announced a free access to the network for a limited time that included every major event.  That was clearly a test, as WWE now has a free version of the Network.  The free version contains episodes of Raw, Smackdown, NXT events and specialty talk and animated shows. (www.wikipedia.com)

The way we consume our entertainment has certainly evolved since the debut of the Colombia Broadcasting System in 1927.  Makes you wonder where we’ll go from here.