Preliminary WrestleMania buyrate reports low, McMahon freaking out
Looks like the yoke's on YOU, Vince!
According to various trade journals, the preliminary buyrate report for WrestleMania 26 is so low, Vince McMahon is reportedly considering rebranding the quarter-century-old franchise.
With 50 of the top 100 markets already able to report exact buyrates, Multichannel News estimates this past Sunday’s event only drew 550,000 buys, barely more than last year’s Summerslam and only half of the last three years’ average of more than 1 million viewers. Variety is reporting that Vince McMahon is not furious but rather “in panic mode” and ready to try anything possible to retain the small audience WWE has built in the past year (with Monday Night Raw ratings climbing to an almost-steady 0.4 increase over this time in 2007).
“McMahon has met with producers, writers, agents and some veteran wrestlers, including 3 a.m. emergency conference calls, to discuss renaming WrestleMania, much like WWE has done with other monthly pay-per-view events,” said a Variety reporter. According to an anonymous WWE producer, McMahon has pitched ideas like “ConfrontationMania,” “WrestleKindaStillEnjoya” and the revenue-raising “Slim Jim Presents Slim Jim and WWE: Snap Into It! Brought to You by Slim Jim.” -Eric
“Macho Man is coming back to wrestle Hogan on TNA this Monday night.” – got a couple of my buddies with that one.
I think that last option is the best one – People need to know that it’s WWE or they won’t buy it. And “Wrestle” is the root word of “Wrestling”, and we want to distance ourselves from that, since we’re much more than that – a global Sports Entertainment franchise! So, definitely, let’s go with “Slim Jim and WWE present: WWEmania” Yeah, that’s the ticket.
Panda just bought WWE….shit is on!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
You had me up until “ConfrontationMania”
Way better than the “HHH got suspended” joke on the Torch forum
Macho Man will finally address if the rumors of him deflowering a teenage Shephanie are true in next week’s Torch Talk.
Good one.
I personally don’t think that changing the name as something as well known worldwide as Wrestlemania. I didn’t buy Wrestlemania this year because I did not like the card at all. I have never heard someone in a conversation call WWE sports entertainment. I blame the pg rating. Pay per views used to be filled with violent bloody matches but now are toned down so much the 18-30 demographic which is thw key one for WWE don’t buy their pay per views but rather the violence filled UFC one. These kids that annoy the hell out of me that WWE is targetting so Linda McMahon looks like she has family values and will be elected to senate. Now I’m rambling but I speak the truth.