WWE plans to launch cable channel

World Wresting Entertainment Inc (WWE), which has softened its raunchy programming to appease advertisers and a wider section of viewers, is planning to launch its own cable network as part of its growth strategy. The effort could take two years, but it would allow WWE a lot of leveraging power to get carriage on cable networks and DTH. WWE programming draws in large audiences, the most popular of which is Raw. WWE also has 14 pay-per-view events a year in the US. It is also sitting on a vast pile of content, totaling 100,000 hours, which could feed into its channel.

Advertisers, who were earlier reluctant to associate with such content, have started flocking in, justifying the proposal of launching a channel. In India, Ten Sports has the rights for telecast of WWE programming till 2015. Being popular among younger audiences, the WWE content enables Ten Sports to get carriage even during the period when it does not have compelling live sporting events that Indian viewers watch.