Post by flame3169118 on Oct 24, 2016 15:52:45 GMT -5
If the future of pro wrestling revenue is subscription-based streaming, as WWE believes it is, a new competitor has emerged today with major funding to compete for rights to non-WWE content.
FloSports, a rapidly expanding start-up with a recent inection of $21.2 million in funding behind it, is expected to announce today its move into the pro wrestling category under the title FloSlam with multiple wrestling brands affiliated with it out of the gate, and more serious negotiations under way.
FloSports describes itself as follows: “FloSports is a direct-to-consumer, subscription-based sports media company in Austin, Texas, that is unlocking a world of sports coverage that true fans have been waiting for.”
The short-term impact on the industry is that there could be actual bidding or competition between WWE and FloSports for pro wrestling content outside of WWE worldwide, including the companies WWE has asked its fans about in their recent surveys. This list of potential FloSports partners includes ROH, EVOLVE, Pro Wrestling Guerrilla, the burgeoning U.K. indy scene, CMLL in Mexico, and New Japan Pro Wrestling or other Japan groups. FloSports is willing to inject a significant amount of up-front money to major indy groups that sign up, giving them the revenue necessary to better compete for indy wrestler salaries and hire international established stars for their bigger shows. This could mean indy wrestlers won’t be as quick to jump at WWE’s offers to join NXT if they can make a significantly better financial deal outside of WWE.
Wrestlers such as James Storm and the Young Bucks are among the small handful who could have signed with WWE’s NXT but have been given big enough offers from TNA and ROH, respectively, to decide to pursue their careers outside of the WWE environment. FloSports has the funding and economies-of-scale platform, with the network available to subscribers via an app on Apple TV and Roku, just announced two weeks ago, along with computer and phone streaming, to offer their affiliated wrestling companies a chance to market their product on a more reliable, accessible platform than ever before, to the widest audience yet. This means more offers can be made to keep top indy stars from signing with NXT, and perhaps even give some established WWE contracted wrestlers not gaining traction with WWE booking an opportunity to earn a better living outside of WWE.
Instead of the iPPV format some indy groups have struggled to gain traction with, FloSlam will be offering a flat rate monthly access in the $20 range per month (and less with a one-year subscription) to unlock and stream live and on demand all pro wrestling offerings on the network, which could also include library content of indy promotions, documentaries, and regional wrestling content not acquired by WWE Network.
FloSports, coincidentally, received funding from WWE earlier this year, but that does not mean WWE has influence over decisions they make. FloSports originally launched as a vehicle to offer niche sports to hardcore fans in various amateur categories such as amateur wrestling, gymnastics, tennis, track, basketball, and martial arts. In effect, it turns out WWE invested in a streaming service that could drive up the price of what they’ll have to pay to attain rights to indy wrestling on WWE Network.
WWE has surveyed their fans in recent weeks about their level of interest in streaming independent wrestling on WWE Network, including a higher priced tier featuring non-WWE content. This is, in great part, due to knowledge that FloSports was making offers to various non-WWE pro wrestling companies domestically and internationally.
FloSports is determined to create a mega-streaming headquarters for non-WWE programming worldwide, including hiring a full time managing editor who will attend and produce original content at the major weekend events, including backstage interviews. Some well-known names in pro wrestling took notice of the job listing and applied. There is talk of other initiatives that would create a connection between some of the major indy groups in other ways
FloSports, a rapidly expanding start-up with a recent inection of $21.2 million in funding behind it, is expected to announce today its move into the pro wrestling category under the title FloSlam with multiple wrestling brands affiliated with it out of the gate, and more serious negotiations under way.
FloSports describes itself as follows: “FloSports is a direct-to-consumer, subscription-based sports media company in Austin, Texas, that is unlocking a world of sports coverage that true fans have been waiting for.”
The short-term impact on the industry is that there could be actual bidding or competition between WWE and FloSports for pro wrestling content outside of WWE worldwide, including the companies WWE has asked its fans about in their recent surveys. This list of potential FloSports partners includes ROH, EVOLVE, Pro Wrestling Guerrilla, the burgeoning U.K. indy scene, CMLL in Mexico, and New Japan Pro Wrestling or other Japan groups. FloSports is willing to inject a significant amount of up-front money to major indy groups that sign up, giving them the revenue necessary to better compete for indy wrestler salaries and hire international established stars for their bigger shows. This could mean indy wrestlers won’t be as quick to jump at WWE’s offers to join NXT if they can make a significantly better financial deal outside of WWE.
Wrestlers such as James Storm and the Young Bucks are among the small handful who could have signed with WWE’s NXT but have been given big enough offers from TNA and ROH, respectively, to decide to pursue their careers outside of the WWE environment. FloSports has the funding and economies-of-scale platform, with the network available to subscribers via an app on Apple TV and Roku, just announced two weeks ago, along with computer and phone streaming, to offer their affiliated wrestling companies a chance to market their product on a more reliable, accessible platform than ever before, to the widest audience yet. This means more offers can be made to keep top indy stars from signing with NXT, and perhaps even give some established WWE contracted wrestlers not gaining traction with WWE booking an opportunity to earn a better living outside of WWE.
Instead of the iPPV format some indy groups have struggled to gain traction with, FloSlam will be offering a flat rate monthly access in the $20 range per month (and less with a one-year subscription) to unlock and stream live and on demand all pro wrestling offerings on the network, which could also include library content of indy promotions, documentaries, and regional wrestling content not acquired by WWE Network.
FloSports, coincidentally, received funding from WWE earlier this year, but that does not mean WWE has influence over decisions they make. FloSports originally launched as a vehicle to offer niche sports to hardcore fans in various amateur categories such as amateur wrestling, gymnastics, tennis, track, basketball, and martial arts. In effect, it turns out WWE invested in a streaming service that could drive up the price of what they’ll have to pay to attain rights to indy wrestling on WWE Network.
WWE has surveyed their fans in recent weeks about their level of interest in streaming independent wrestling on WWE Network, including a higher priced tier featuring non-WWE content. This is, in great part, due to knowledge that FloSports was making offers to various non-WWE pro wrestling companies domestically and internationally.
FloSports is determined to create a mega-streaming headquarters for non-WWE programming worldwide, including hiring a full time managing editor who will attend and produce original content at the major weekend events, including backstage interviews. Some well-known names in pro wrestling took notice of the job listing and applied. There is talk of other initiatives that would create a connection between some of the major indy groups in other ways
