Vince Talks About WWE’s “Sophisticated” Product, MMA & More
Silicon Valley’s MercuryNews.com has an article that looks at WWE’s transition from TV-14 programming to TV-PG, with quotes from WWE Chairman Vince McMahon.
McMahon explains that desepite the success WWE saw during the edgy Attitude era, the time was right to shift towards more family friendly programming. “We just followed our audience and tried to listen to them,” McMahon said. “It’s a more sophisticated product. It’s just the right move business-wise, but more specifically the right move in terms of reaching our audience.”
Since going PG, WWE has picked up a number of new sponsorships, including Pepsi, 7-Eleven stores, Mattel toys and the Army National Guard.
Vince also said by toning down WWE’s programming, they are moving farther away from being in direct competition with mixed martial arts. “You really can’t compete with that,” he said. “Why not deliver a more sophisticated product and not go to those extremes? If the audience wants those extremes, they know where to go and how to get it.”
Wait, what?! WWE? Sophisticated? WWE? World Wrestling Entertainment?
The article also notes that singer Ozzy Osbourne will be hosting Raw this fall.
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Yeah, “sophisticated” family friendly programming. That’s why they push Degeriatric X and put “World’s Biggest Member” T-shirts on six year olds. Classy. If only the company could overcome the McMahon/Helmsey egos, it might actually be able to improve.
Vince has no idea what the audience wants. WWE has only gotten worse since the move towards the switch to TV-PG and the ratings are there to prove it. Im almost positive that if the WWE did not have special guest hosts every monday like it is doing now, RAW would most likely be in the 2.5-2.7 rating area.
Yeah, when I saw that, on the shirt I kinda had to double take. I think double meanings are fine in their books. I mean, they re-released the Christian Peep Show shirt. I mean the term peep show can be taken into another direction.
Todays PG is pretty different from the PG I grew up with as a kid in the 80s, thats for sure.
The product is becoming a complete joke.
Most Def. Until WWE wakes up and realizes what the fans really want, theyll continue to sink in ratings and lose more fans to UFC and other MMA promotions, because theyre producing what people actually want to see now.
pg my arse!!they doing crotch chops(i dont mind at all lol)and puttin xplicit sayings on shirts and kids wearin them, etc..NO they r not pg in my opinion..vince does NOT know what audiences want
Vince knowing what the audience wants is pure BS. He’s practically begging for WWE to go down into the abyss like WCW. If he knew what hte Audience wanted he’d realize MMA and UFC are going to tear WWE into shreds in the coming years if Vince doesn’t open his eyes. Hell even TNA might, maybe.
The WWE is too watered down now for kids. Yeah, they have those DX shirts, but the kids that have them dont knwo what they mean, and their stupid parents think its funny to buy it for them. The WWE is becoming the same thing over and over, and too predictible. I wish TNA would step up and show their product as more real to gain back the old school wrestling fans. People in their 30s are begging for wrestling like WCW had back in the nWo days and the WWE Attitude era.
vince’s old age has made him blind to what it takes to have a succesful wrestling product. it’s time for shane to take control.