Roundtable: Paying For Wrestling

In this edition of The Wrestling Estate roundtable, we discuss our history of paying for wrestling.

What’s the most money you’ve ever spent on pro wrestling?

David Gibb: I paid full HD price for the last WrestleMania before the WWE Network launch, which was 60 bucks. I think my tickets to Slammiversary XI were in that range as well. My biggest recent splurge was Wrestle Kingdom 13 on FITE, which was $35.

Jack Goodwillie: Now that I think of it, I’ve never really spent too much on wrestling at any one time. My ticket to Bound for Glory 2011 ran about $45 (which seemed like a lot at the time). My ticket to NXT Takeover: Los Angeles ran me about $80, though I have made a Pro Wrestling Tee’s purchase of more than $100, so maybe that’s the winner. I can’t believe I haven’t bought a belt at this point, that’d have taken the cake for sure.

Steven Jackson: The most money I’ve ever spent in pro wrestling is my home video collection. Now this is not exclusive to WWE. In this home video collection, we’re talking TNA, CHIKARA, Dragon Gate USA, NJPW, EVOLVE, AAA, PWG and of course, Ring of Honor! I can’t even begin to total what I’ve spent. Let’s just say a lot!

Chad Gelfand: It has to be $60 multiple times for WrestleMania. It seems almost insane to pay that price now with the invention of the WWE Network.

Matthew Smith: My most recent purchase was my most expensive wrestling venture yet: Double Or Nothing in Vegas, including hotel stay, plane ticket from Wiggins, Mississippi, and the ticket itself topped me out at about $1,200. I would gladly do it all over again – my only regret is not spending a little more money and arriving a day before to get to Starrcast.

Neal Wagner: Last year in Baltimore – third row for ROH Best in the World. Dalton Castle retained over Marty Scurll and Cody, and I got to see what was voted match of the year between The Young Bucks vs. The Briscoes for the Tag Team Titles in a classic match that the crowd was white hot for.

Sam Gladen: I’ve been pretty good so far in my life due to having other responsibilities and what not. I paid around 50 or 60 dollars to the Ring Of Honor “Road To G1 SuperCard” in Dallas.

Juan Bautista: I spent $50 on a pay-per-view.

John Corrigan: My friend convinced me we needed floor seats for WrestleMania 32 in AT&T Stadium. The tickets cost about $400 each. When we got to the airport in Philly, Spirit delayed our flight a few times before cancelling it altogether. The next flight wouldn’t leave until Saturday, and my friend chalked it up as a lost cause. Because I paid for the tickets up front, it was my duty to find someone to buy his or else I’d be out $800 just to see Roman Reigns win again. My friend Roosh (who let me leech off his WWE Network subscription for years) offered to buy the ticket, until I drunkenly dropped his phone while Snapchatting the wrestlers coming out of their hotel. A trade was made and to this day, Spirit can go fuck itself.

Which wrestling streaming services do you subscribe to?

Gibb: I have a WWE Network subscription and then WWN Live and FITE accounts that I use to order paid content a la carte. I also stream MLW Fusion “live” when it premieres on YouTube most weeks.

Goodwillie: I split a WWE Network account, but also HAVE subscribed to about all wrestling streaming services at one time or another. Kayfabe Commentaries On Demand, Highspots and Global Wrestling Network all get some love from me periodically throughout the year. I am also a subscriber to the Wrestling Observer Newsletter for what will be four years this fall.

Jackson: I am a cheapskate and don’t subscribe to any services! I regularly watch FITE TV and events on YouTube, but I prefer to be selective to help fit in with my lifestyle.

Gelfand: Just the WWE Network right now, but I’ve subscribed to the High Spots Network and Impact Plus before and they’re both good streaming services. The Kevin Steen Show, Developmentally Speaking and the Chuck Taylor and Trent Show make the High Spots subscription worth it alone.

Smith: WWE Network and FITE TV. Mainly have WWE Network so I can keep up with NXT.

Wagner: Currently, I’m subscribed to WWE Network for all the classic content, NJPW World for the best wrestling around right now and HonorClub for the live shows and pay-per-views. Plus, ROH is beginning its own back catalog of shows that I’ve never seen.

Gladen: I subscribe to the WWE Network, NJPW World and DragonGate Network.

Bautista: I’m currently subscribed to WWE Network, but I am interested in subscribing to others.

Corrigan: None at the moment, but I am a big fan of PowerslamTV! I’ve been too lazy to renew my WWE Network subscription and would rather see what kind of offers they have up their sleeve to bring me back.

If WWE Network raised its price, what would be the most you’re willing to spend?

Gibb: It would depend on the details of the price hike. For example, if they increased the price without any further upgrades to content or experience, then I would obviously be angry and cancel if things got above $12. On the other hand, I’d gladly pay two or three more dollars a month if they promised to get all the historic footage they own up there and produce original content that was worth watching.

Goodwillie: I like the idea of tiered pricing. With all of the content WWE has access to, it could feasibly charge up to $19.99 and be justified in doing so IF it became the UFC Fight Pass of wrestling. In layman’s terms, Fight Pass is the one stop shop for ALL combat sports events, from jiu jitsu tournaments to amateur wrestling to traditional Thai fighting, in addition to feeder MMA leagues. Conversely, WWE Network could become the streaming destination of British wrestling like Progress and ICW, and as we know, it has already tinkered with broadcasting an EVOLVE event on its platform.

Jackson: No, I wouldn’t. I refuse to own a WWE Network subscription due to the network having Over the Edge 1999 in its listings. I would gladly pay any amount for a WWE Network subscription, but because of this, I just can’t.

Gelfand: $15. If WWE Network upped the frequency and quality of its original programming, then maybe $20. It’s hard for WWE to raise the price too much when people have gotten comfortable paying $10 for all of this content for five years.

Smith: Honestly, not much more than what I pay now. The quality of PPVs the past two-three years just isn’t exciting enough to shell out more. As a viewer just watching NXT and a PPV here and there, the most I would be willing to spend a month is around $15.

Wagner: My max is $20 and that’s for even what I currently get now. The rumor of the tiered program with getting EVOLVE and a few other promotions doesn’t do much for me. I want my classic Attitude Era Raw and SmackDown and the WCW content.

Gladen: It would depend on what WWE gives us for the raised prices. If I could watch house shows live or if WWE had extended NWA coverage, I would pay probably $20 a month or so. I don’t see that happening, though, with Billy Corgan speaking recently about starting a weekly NWA TV show.

Bautista: I would be willing to spend probably $15 considering it’s already $9.99. It would also depend on what new features, if any, are added to the network.

Corrigan: I can’t see myself paying more than $9.99. WWE did such a tremendous job promoting that low figure that when it raises, I’ll feel like I’m being ripped off.

Is $50 too much for a wrestling pay-per-view in 2019?

Gibb: Yes! That $35 for Wrestle Kingdom felt like the ceiling for me, and that’s basically an all-day show.

Goodwillie: No. Usually, a UFC PPV will be double the price and people pay for that no problem, and back in the day 50 dollars was the base price for the major wrestling pay-per-views. When I came into my fandom, smaller shows like Vengeance and The Great American Bash ran about 30-35 dollars, while WrestleMania would cost about 50 dollars. Gradually, the price for all of it increased and then dropped to nothing at all with the introduction of the network. But could you imagine if WWE still charged that for its current shows? You can’t? Neither can I! It really puts in perspective just how lackluster these big events have been over the last two-four years. However, if a show looks compelling enough and offers the fans sufficient bang for their buck (pun intended), I am very sure the fans would be willing to pony up the money.

Jackson: $50 equates to just over £40 here in the U.K. which is a hell of a lot of money for a PPV. It wouldn’t be so bad if the PPVs were every few months, but every month paying £40 for a show I am more than likely not going to enjoy does not feel a justified amount to me.

Gelfand: Generally, yes. If there are only four PPVs on the schedule, then it’s less ridiculous, but even then $50 is a lot to spend on one show and the company needs to deliver every time to have the fans willing to pay for another PPV.

Smith: Truly depends on the quality of the PPV, the company and the storylines heading into a PPV. For example, Fyter Fest seemed like a low quality PPV. Although it was entertaining, I don’t think it would have been worth $50. All Out seems more of the “spend your money” PPV, with more main event matches, a ladder match and the crowning of a world champ.

Wagner: $50 for a pay-per-view now is a bit much. Every promotion at this point has some kind of deal for a streaming service where you can watch these big shows automatically or at a discounted rate. AEW needs to get on this train sooner rather than later because it won’t keep the momentum of fans buying these shows past the end of the year.

Gladen: Yeah. If you look at the shows run just on WrestleMania weekend where streaming is 10, 15 or at most 30 dollars and gives us some phenomenal wrestling for that price, I have trouble paying for a show that MIGHT be okay.

Bautista: Yes and no. Considering streaming services offer monthly subscriptions as low as $10 a month, it can seem a bit pricey. But I believe that’s where a few fans have been spoiled. When All In and Wrestle Kingdom occurred, there was some noise about the price. The reason is because we have the WWE Network now. Those events ran for about $40 on FITE TV, but when compared to the recent Manny Pacquiao fight, that ran for $74. This is also considering the WWE Network isn’t ran like FITE TV, where there should be a credit reward system.

Corrigan: Absolutely! I can’t believe AEW thinks people are going to keep paying that. It’s practically begging for people to illegally stream.

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Would you pay $20 for MLW’s upcoming pay-per-view in November?

Gibb: I would and I will! I enjoy MLW’s show a lot and $20 feels like the magic number for a show that’s supposed to be “special,” but accessible.

Goodwillie: I would. That’s probably more towards the ceiling of what MLW could charge for an event, but MLW has shown the fans it cares enough about them to properly build to a big event in November and deliver on its promises.

Jackson: I am intrigued by this and if the card looked fun and exciting, I definitely would pay to watch it. Then again, if the card did not inspire me, I would not pay for it. It is all down to subjectivity and maturity. Why pay to watch something I can’t afford and won’t like over something I will enjoy and like?

Gelfand: MLW has been doing a lot of good work recently and it will probably go all out for the PPV, so I think it’d be worth spending $20 on.

Smith: With not much knowledge of the promotion, probably not.

Wagner: I have never seen MLW, but have heard enough good about it that if I were to start watching, $20 for a big show would be worth it. Maybe I have some new plans now in November…

Gladen: Absolutely. MLW is the best weekly wrestling show consistently in the world and it is doing it using only the beIN Sports money and gates at the venue. If I can pay 20 dollars to see Jacob Fatu destroy an arena somewhere, I’ll do it without any regrets. This is a show I’ll look back at the way guys who were around for it look back at ECW Barely Legal.

Bautista: I would have to get a little bit more exposure, but probably if I’m able to. I heard and seen great stuff such as the Dynasty, so I’m open to it.

Corrigan: Of course. Twenty bucks is the perfect price point for a show you already know will be worth it. And if it’s not, hey…it’s only 20 bucks down the drain!