Details on carriage, staffing for WWE channel emerge
Following nearly a decade of successful channel launches by most major sports properties, the WWE is deep into negotiations with In Demand on a deal that would see the wrestling operation launch its cable channel in early spring, according to numerous media and sports industry sources.
WWE executives have told cable and satellite operators that it is expecting to reach 40 million homes for its April 1 launch, an impressive number that would put the channel on par with sports networks like Fuel and Fox Soccer.
To achieve that distribution number, WWE would still have to cut carriage deals with more than just In Demand, a consortium of the nation’s biggest cable operators: Comcast, Time Warner Cable, Cox and Bright House Networks.
Using a blueprint that other sports properties have worked with successfully, WWE plans to seed its channel with live events that previously have been available on pay-per-view. WWE also has expanded its programming search beyond wrestling, sources said. That could include some professional team sports, sources said.
Full Story : http://www.sportsbusinessdaily.com/Journal/Issues/2011/12/05/Leagues-and-Governing-Bodies/WWE.aspx
