WWE Network announced for every device ever [CES 2014]

WWE is known for high impact moves, intense drama, over-the-top characters, and sparking up interesting conversation about whether or not professional wrestling is fake. That last part we will not go into, but instead we will explain the reason why the company is at the Consumer Electronic Show, also known as CES, in Las Vegas, Nevada. When I first got the invitation to attend the WWE CES announcement, the wrestling fan in me was jumping for joy, and at the same time wondering why in the hell they would invite me.

The event began with WWE Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Vincent Kennedy McMahon Jr. coming to the stage at the Encore Theatre in the Wynn Hotel and making the announcement that the company will launch the WWE Network, a concept that has been rumored the WWE would take into reality for a while now.

Vince McMahon went to say, “Today is a historic day for WWE as we transform and reimagine how we deliver our premium live content and 24/7 programming directly to our fans around the world. WWE Network will provide transformative growth for our company and unprecedented value for our fans.”

In other words, it’s meant to be a big deal, especially to us fans here at SideQuesting.

So, what is the WWE Network? It is the first-ever 24/7 streaming network that will go live in the U.S. on February 24, 2014 at 11:05PM EST, right after Monday Night RAW. It will feature all 12 WWE live pay-per-view events, which also includes the Super Bowl of wrestling, WrestleMania. Along with the 12 live events subscribers will also get original programming with shows like: RAW Pre-Show, Smackdown Pre-Show, The Monday Night War(s) Raw vs. Nitro, WrestleMania Rewind, WWE Countdown, WWE Legends House, NXT, and WWE Superstars.

On top of all the Original Programming folks will also get video-on-demand like many classic WWE, WCW, and ECW pay-per-views as they were uncut and uncensored. That part is interesting, because I want to see if an entire pay-per-view is truly uncut and uncensored, leaving in things that were cut from the shows or deemed too controversial. Example: If you are a wrestling fan, you know what happened to Owen Hart, and it will be interesting to see if the WWE lets that infamous moment through the censors. Subscribers will also get encores of Monday Night Raw, Friday Night Smackdown, and WWE Main Event.

The subscription monthly price for the WWE Network is $9.99 with a 6-month commitment. There is also a limited time the WWE will offer a free one week trial for those on the fence. The WWE Network will be available for PC, Laptops, Amazon’s Kindle Fire, Android devices, iOS, Roku, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, and Xbox 360 when it is launched. Xbox One and select smart TVs will follow suit later in the summer.

All of this works because of a WWE collaboration with Major League Baseball Advanced Media (MLBAM) to build the powerful technology behind the 24/7 network. MLBAM will provide their industry-leading services, including video streaming infrastructure, application development and operational support for reliable cross-platform distribution.

What does this all mean in the long run? As a long time wrestling fan, this has certainly piqued my interests. Who doesn’t want to re-live the moment when the Ultimate Warrior beat Hulk Hogan in a Champion vs. Champion match? Or when Sting started to appear in WCW in his now famous black trent coat and black and white face paint? How about watching nearly all of the ECW PPV to watch Rob Van Dam and Sabu fighting it out? Moments like that is why I will subscribe to the WWE Network. Yes, we’re asked to pay $9.99 and commit to 6 months to the network, but we pay close to that for just one pay-per-view anyways. Just take my money, WWE!

You can watch the entire Press Conference below.