Maven Says WWE is Risking Turning Fans Off With Raw Ads & Cost Of Watching the Product

Maven says that WWE is risking tuning off fans not only with the cost of shows, but also the number of ads on WWE Raw on Netflix. As noted, the WWE alumnus posted a video talking about the company and issues that he sees WWE facing. Maven also spoke in the video about the cost to the consumer, not only in money but of time by way of the Raw ads.

As was noted in a report in January, one of the biggest complaints WWE fields from fans is about the heavy number of ads and that Raw will make changes to reduce the number of ad breaks. You can see highlights from Maven’s comments below:

On WWE Becoming Too Expensive:

“I’m also concerned with the long-term health of the WWE because of how expensive the product has become as a whole. And I’m not just talking about ticket prices, although they are elevated. I’m talking about how everything costs nowadays. If you’re streaming, that costs. If you want to watch it on Netflix, that costs. If you need ESPN Plus, that costs. And if you do manage to make it out to a show — well, can you buy one of those several hundred dollar belt? Well, that has a cost, too. There’s something to be said for just good family entertainment. And I know parents appreciate being able to take their family out to an event and not break the bank.

“But even if they can’t make it out to the event, they don’t want to have to spend an arm and a leg just watching what we used to be able to watch on basic cable. ‘Maven, everything has a cost.’ I get it, I understand. But there’s no reason that people should have to mortgage $50, $60, $100 a month strictly to professional wrestling. Because what you’re going to do is, you’re going to lose fans. Fans are going to choose another option. There is no lack of entertainment for younger viewers. And to prove my point, it might already be happening. Wrestlemania this year had trouble selling out its two-night event. And yeah, ticket prices were elevated. They were high, but there was also just a lack of interest, lack of desire.

On the Amount Of Ads On Raw:

“Recently, I sat down and watched an entire episode of Monday Night Raw from beginning to end. And the one thing that was so painful, that made me question my decision, was the amount of ads during the show. We were actually laughing at one point’ they were running ads it felt like every four to five minutes. And without a good flow to the program, it’s just going to make your consumer seek their entertainment elsewhere, and not invest the most important thing the WWE is going after — and that’s your time. If you, the fans, aren’t going to invest your time? I guarantee you’re not going to invest your dollars, and that is going to be the death knell to the WWE.

“It was honestly painful getting through an entire episode of Raw, and it had nothing to do with the product in the ring. It had nothing to do with the performers. The wrestlers wrestled their tails off. The storylines were written properly for what they were going for. They were trying to increase viewership and increase engagement going into their biggest event of the year. And every time I could get into something? I was getting sold DoorDash, or I was being told to buy this or being told to buy that. I guarantee if you run too many ads, you run the risk of boring your fans. And if you bore your fans long enough, ask for too much of their dollars, they’re going to find their entertainment options better utilized somewhere else. And the days of being a wrestling fan being passed down from father to son, from mother to daughter, from family member to family member, those days are just going to stop. And if wrestling isn’t as accessible and as affordable as it once was, then they’re just going to lose their fan base altogether.

If you use any of the quotes in this article, please credit Maven with a h/t to 411mania.com for the transcription.