“This Will Kill Their Business”: WWE Reportedly Planning an UFC-Esque Move After Rumored Sale Irked Their Loyal Fans

Vince McMahon‘s dramatic return to WWE recently sent shockwaves across the sports entertainment world. After stepping down as chairman last year due to hush-money allegations, McMahon came back to the WWE board to allegedly oversee a sale of the company. His return has already led to several changes within the promotion and there could be more to come.

In 2015, WWE changed its model for promoting its big events with the launch of the WWE Network. The subscription-based streaming service allowed the promotion to move away from the traditional pay-per-view model. Hence, the fans were able to watch the big events at an affordable price throughout the year. But now there is a possibility of WWE reverting back to those roots if the company ends up getting sold.

Fans react to the WWE possibly switching back to the pay-per-view model

Vince McMahon’s unexpected WWE comeback has already resulted in several changes within the setup. His daughter and former CEO Stephanie McMahon resigned from her position days after the Genetic Jackhammer returned as the executive chairman of the company. McMahon is reportedly seeking a sale of his beloved franchise and wants to be in a key position to see a deal go through. There was also a report about McMahon already suggesting changes to the product and backstage.

Speaking on Wrestling Observer Radio Dave Meltzer that there is a chance of WWE switching back to $60 pay-per-views after getting sold. Meltzer pointed out how the UFC PPV model works on ESPN+, where the fans have to sign up with the streaming service first and then pay an additional $59.99 for PPV events. But WWE fans only have to pay $9.99 to get access to WWE’s digital library and PPV events. However, this all could change if a sale goes through. Fans may end up spending $9.99 to subscribe to the network and then an additional $60 for every PPV.

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Naturally, this didn’t sit well with many fans online who slammed any such possible move. One fan wrote, “This will kill their business“. Another fan commented, “Nope guess I won’t watch them.”

Here are the top reactions from fans on WWE following in UFC’s footsteps.

Fans were not too keen to go back to the PPV model.

Although Meltzer did allay some of the fears, there is no telling how the situation will unfold if the company is sold. There will be a lot of upheavals if a sale happens. The network distribution model, which has been a success, could be one of the things that comes under the scanner.

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