Can WrestleMania Have A Network TV Future?

I watched WrestleMania for the first time in my life this weekend.

Not because I’m not a WWE fan. I’m not. And I’m not knocking it if that’s your bag. More power to you. I was a huge WWE fan as a kid. Growing up in the Attitude Era was a fantastic time to get into professional wrestling. But, like many other things, I outgrew it.

When I was a huge wrestling fan, though, the idea of buying a pay-per-view was about as likely as me landing on the moon. The WWE decided to move its pay-per-views to the WWE Network in 2014, which increased my chances of watching WrestleMania, but the idea of me paying $10 a month for the WWE Network was about as likely as me landing on the moon.

However, when WWE Network was absorbed into Peacock, that made the organization’s premier events more accessible to someone like me who would call themselves an insanely casual fan…and even that might be too strong of a word to describe my WWE fandom.

I subscribed to Peacock late last year when the offer was too good to pass up. When NBC moved Days of Our Lives to the streaming platform, it offered a yearlong subscription for $2 a month for all of the women in nursing homes who still watch the show to be able to subscribe. So I pounced.

Truthfully, I have hardly used the subscription, but with MLB Sunday Leadoff, the IndyCar Series, and the Big Ten coming to the platform, I’ll probably see an increase in my usage.

Peacock was the home of WrestleMania on Saturday and Sunday night, and the entire time I watched, one question continued to circulate in my head: Why isn’t this on NBC?

Do you know what was on NBC Saturday night? Neither do I. Sunday night? Nope.

The more I pondered the question, the more I couldn’t come up with a truly great answer.

What major sports entity doesn’t have its marquee event(s) on network TV? The only ones I could muster were UFC, the College Football Playoff National Championship Game, and the NCAA Tournament National Championship game airs on TBS every other year. Feel free to correct me, but I think that’s the list.

There are obvious differences between operating a show on NBC and Peacock, but in the portions I watched Saturday, the only thing that would have been remotely questionable on network TV was Pat McAfee accusing The Miz of having “tiny balls”.

In all likelihood, NBC wouldn’t give WWE six hours of airtime each day. But airing live on NBC from 7:00-11:00 PM ET each night would be a fantastic get for both the network and the wrestling promotion. WWE could utilize matches earlier on the card on Peacock while saving the creme-de-la-creme for NBC.

When the business model changed from pay-per-views to “get wrestling fans to buy the network for 12 months at $10 per month”, WWE was changed for good. It has done a phenomenal job of utilizing product placement, creating branded segments and matches, and incorporating sponsorship into its marquee events.

Now just imagine what the expanded reach of network television could provide in sponsorship.

While I believe WrestleMania absolutely works on network TV, the decision isn’t up to me. And frankly, neither WWE nor NBC/Peacock have any reason to consider a change.

WrestleMania 38 was the most-watched event in WWE history, according to the promotion. Peacock claims it was the second-most streamed event in the streaming platform’s history, behind Super Bowl LVI.

The event likely drives Peacock subscriptions, and if WWE is ok with the streaming platform utilizing it’s content for that purpose, who am I to judge?

But, in my estimation, if you’re going to go head-to-head against the Final Four, it might as well be without one arm tied behind your back. NBC’s television rating for Saturday night was likely abysmal. It wouldn’t be that way if WrestleMania 39 had been on the schedule.

It’s much easier to reach casual fans with a more accessible platform — linear, over-the-air television — than behind a paywall, no matter how insignificant the subscription fee might be. And if WWE wants to return to the massive cultural influence it held during its heyday, putting its marquee event on NBC isn’t a bad idea.

Garrett Searight

Garrett Searight is Barrett Media’s News Editor, which includes writing bi-weekly industry features and a weekly column. He has previously served as Program Director and Afternoon Co-Host on 93.1 The Fan in Lima, OH, and is the radio play-by-play voice of Northern Michigan University hockey. Reach out to him at Garrett@BarrettMedia.com.