Thread: Ratings Thread
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Old 02-12-2017, 03:12 PM   #129
The CyNick
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Noid View Post
I do, because I like to know what the future might hold for a television show, and I like to know what works and what is trendy, etc. I do a fair bit of work in the television industry (nothing glamorous, I'm not bragging like CyNick would), so I find the business itself very fascinating. That being said, ratings are important for wrestling fans who want to analyze the business.

You might think it is nerdy, but when a product has left us a bit dry and our fandom cries out for more, ratings are useful because it at least indicates whether or not something works for the general audience, even if we hardcores are left unsatisfied. That being said, we need to swallow a bitter pill when things are going down and our favorites are on top.

I'd be interested in ratings for Arrow in the same sense if I felt they were butchering this DC Comics character I enjoyed and I had this feeling that "No one is going to like this version of Green Arrow because they've fucked with him too much." If ratings were soaring, then it'd mean that my opinion is clearly out of sync with what audiences want. If ratings were going down the gurgler though, then it somewhat supports the suspicions my fandom has given me.

Also, generally television shows that keep losing viewers change something, and that the WWE loses viewers and keeps on the same path is incredibly frustrating and fuel for the hardcore fan/WWE love/hate relationship.

If you're enjoying the product, then I don't know why you'd bum yourself out with ratings. If you're not, there's something bittersweet about finding out that the general taste consensus is with you. It's the only authority a fan has to appeal to when they comes to disagreeing, cosmically, with Vince McMahon. And it's one that goes over even his head.
Record breaking revenue in 2016.

Network subs up year over year. You mentioned hardcore fans, you would think The Network would be a solid indicator of what the hardcore fan thinks of the product.

TV ratings are down, yes, but they are still way above the average for both USA and Cable as a whole. What that will likely mean is a healthy new TV rights fees deal.

The issue for people like you, and Crippy falls into this category is you're just looking at television ratings for RAW and not grasping the larger context of what those numbers mean. The NFLs ratings are down, The Walking Dead's ratings are down (ask #1 fan), lots of things are down. However WWE continues to see growth in other areas, and have managed to grow a brand new revenue stream that will likely keep them profitable for decades to come. Until some of these metrics that actually matter (rights fees, Network subs, revenues, etc) start to decline, then the WWE will see a need to change. Right now things are going well. Guys like you don't seem to enjoy it, but the paying customer is enjoying, and they matter more than you.
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