In another piece of fallout to the WWE Network, DirecTV is set to
drop offering WWE pay-per-view events as we noted earlier. According to sources,
the satellite company has decided to stand with Dish Network and will not offer
such shows going forward.
The moves from the two satellite companies come after WWE put
their PPVs on the WWE Network for all subscribers; Dish claimed it was unfair to
their customers for WWE to offer the events as part of a $10 subscription and
then charge full price to watch outside the network. Dish didn’t offer
Elimination Chamber and nearly didn’t offer WrestleMania but gave in for that
show. DirecTV offered both but will not offer the rest.
Of course this will mean less buys for WWE’s shows but likely more
subscriptions to the network, as DirecTV and Dish customers sign up so they have
access to the events. This could easily backfire for the providers or WWE if the
Network fails.
