WWE Network to Go Live in China

Friday, August 18th, the WWE Network officially goes live in China. In that same moment, nearly 1.4 billion people will have every inch of WWE from Hulk Hogan to Roman Reigns at their finger tips.

Even better, the Network launches just 2 days before SummerSlam. This marks a great opportunity for WWE to approach the highly coveted 2 million subscribers. Sitting at 1.63 million, WWE could be a single successful week away from eclipsing the elusive number.

China's PPTV will be handling the facilitation of the WWE Network. Godfrey Zeng, Executive Vice President of Suning Sports Media, a parent company of PPTV, had this to say about the launch:

"When we began our exclusive partnership with WWE, we brought WWE's signature programming, Raw and SmackDown, to PPTV and received a great response from WWE fans in China. In April, we offered WrestleMania as a pay-per-view event, and again, our fans responded enthusiastically. We are now launching WWE Network on PPTV and presenting the entire lineup of WWE pay-per-views and other premium content to continue to better serve WWE fans in China."

Michelle Wilson, WWE's Chief Revenue & Marketing Officer spoke for the wrestling conglomerate:

"PPTV is a tremendous partner, and has been key in helping us engage with WWE fans in China and further establishing our brand in this important market. With this launch, WWE Network is now available in every market, reaching more than 180 countries around the world, delivering all our premium live events and an archive of action-packed, family-friendly entertainment that has thrilled WWE audiences for years."

This may be a moment WWE has been anticipating for a long time. It's been rumored that their conquest of India has been underwhelming. With Jinder Mahal as WWE Champion, it's possible that Vince McMahon and Co. believed that capturing Indian subscribers would be a breeze. However, their subscription count has barely budged.

Last year WWE pocketed $30 million, and well past 2017's halfway mark, WWE is said to have only made between $5 and $6 million. This is likely the reason WWE has made significant cuts to their budget. The company has removed pyrotechnics as well as multiple shows on the WWE Network.

That said, it's hard to place WWE's expectations in China. With zero representation of the country on their roster, it's unclear what their strategy is. However, having a Chinces Champion may not be fruit as Mahal has done little to affect India and their wallets. Regardless WWE moving to CHina is a big deal and the company should reap some handsome profits.

Photo Credit: WWE