WWE Network WWE Network is a subscription - based video streaming service owned by WWE , using the infrastructure of Major League Baseball Advanced Media . The concept was originally announced in 2012 . On January 8 , 2014 , WWE announced the network would launch on February 24 , 2014 in the United States . On July 31 , 2014 , WWE announced that the network would be expected to go live in Australia , Canada , New Zealand , Hong Kong , Singapore , Mexico , Spain and the Nordics , among other countries starting on August 12 . On October 31 , WWE announced that the Network would be available in the United Kingdom on November 3 . WWE Network is also expected to arrive in Italy , United Arab Emirates , Germany , Japan , India , China , Thailand , and Malaysia at a future date . The Network consists of both a 24 - hour linear streaming channel and an on - demand programming library . Beginning in December 2014 , WWE Network will be available for US $ 9 . 99 per month with no commitment . Overview . In September 2011 , WWE officially announced plans to launch the WWE Network in 2012 as a pay - TV channel . WWE then conducted a survey asking people if they would pay for the WWE Network if it were a premium channel . In an email sent to WWE fans who might be interested in the WWE Network , WWE surveyed fans for their thoughts about the WWE Network airing WWE ' s pay - per - views to subscribers for no additional charge . The survey also noted that feature repeats of " Raw " and " SmackDown " , as well as footage from WCW , ECW , NWA , XFL , AWA and WWE movies would also make the lineup . Original programming was also noted in the survey . As the result of an online poll , " WrestleMania Rewind " was chosen as a name for a new WWE Network show on October 17 , 2011 . The original launch date had been April 1 , 2012 , which would have coincided with WrestleMania XXVIII . WWE . com featured a countdown clock that would have expired on April 1 , however the clock was quietly removed , and the network did not launch as advertised . WWE chief marketing officer Michelle Wilson allayed fears about the future of the WWE Network , saying " There will be a WWE network in some shape or form . We are in late - stage negotiations with distributors " , and confirmed that WWE Legends ' House had been filmed . In April 2013 , WWE had switched plans and aimed to release the WWE Network as a premium pay - TV outlet , with a potential price of $ 15 a month . On " Old School Raw " in January 2014 , WWE ran teasers promoting an announcement on January 8 at the Wynn Hotel in Las Vegas . It was later confirmed that the announcement would concern the WWE Network . At the Consumer Electronics Show on January 8 , WWE revealed a comprehensive plan which would see a launch date of February 24 , 2014 in the United States . WWE Classics On Demand closed on January 31 , 2014 to make way for the WWE Network . A free trial period was offered during the week of the launch . The logo initially used for the WWE Network eventually became the standard logo used by the WWE corporation in August 2014 . In April 2014 ahead of WrestleMania XXX , the Network received acclaim , with the " New York Times " saying that WWE had " positioned themselves on the cutting edge of Internet television " . Later that month , the company announced that the network had 667 , 000 subscribers , short of the one million subscribers they needed to break even . As WWE ' s stock fell 50 % the following month , " Forbes " described low subscription numbers as being of " additional concern " for investors after WWE ' s underwhelming NBCUniversal renewal deal . WWE offered a second free preview week of the WWE Network , which started July 7 , in an attempt to sign new subscribers . A second report released at the end of July indicated that the network had reached 700 , 000 subscribers . WWE ' s goal is to reach one million subscribers by the end of 2014 . On July 31 , 2014 , the company announced a 10 - year , Canadian distribution deal for WWE content with Rogers Media which will see the company distribute WWE Network as a premium television service . Also on July 31 , 2014 , it was announced that the WWE Network will launch in Australia , New Zealand , Hong Kong , Singapore , Mexico , Spain and the Nordics , among others on August 12 , with Italian , Arab , German , Japanese , Indian , Chinese , Thai and Malaysian launches planned for a later date . On October 30 , 2014 , in an attempt to increase subscription numbers from an announced figure of 731 , 000 , the 6 month subscription requirement was dropped , allowing subscribers the option to cancel at any time . Programming . Repeat / archival programming . In addition to previous editions of the original programs listed above : Although the United States parental guidelines rating system rates most weekly WWE television programs TV - PG , the WWE Network broadcasts a wider range of content . A parental controls block is available and content rated TV - 14 and TV - MA are preceded by an advisory warning . The network airs footage featuring Chris Benoit , but an advisory warning is displayed before each airing ; it marks the first major airing of Benoit footage since his murder - suicide in 2007 . Over the Edge 1999 , infamous for Owen Hart ' s death at the event , is also available for the first time since its original air date , however some portions of the event have been edited out of respect to the Hart wrestling family . Matches called with Jesse Ventura on commentary , which have previously been dubbed over due to a 1991 lawsuit , air with the original commentary . While the network promoted on - demand airings as being unedited , some instances of expletives and all nudity are censored . At launch , all but one of New Jack ' s matches were removed from ECW pay - per - views , as was his surprise return at Heat Wave 1998 , due to a combination of musical rights issues over his entrance music and the inability to remove the music without losing the original commentary audio . The deleted matches were eventually reinstated with replacement music and newly recorded Joey Styles commentary . Several pay - per - views are copies of their condensed home video releases , rather than the live versions , and so are missing matches . Impact on the TV industry . In an interview with " Time " , Michelle D . Wilson , chief revenue and marketing officer for WWE , stated their reason for bypassing cable companies and instead only offering the WWE Network online : " Digital over - the - top offerings represent the future , and given that our passionate fans consume five times more online video content than non - WWE viewers and over - index for purchasing online subscriptions such as Netflix and Hulu Plus , we believe the time is now for a WWE Network " . In response to the announcement , DirecTV issued a statement saying that they are re - evaluating whether to continue carrying WWE ' s pay - per - view events . Because these events would also be available on the WWE Network once it launches , it might reduce the number of pay - per - view purchases via cable and satellite providers . However , Vince McMahon suggested that pay - TV operators would ultimately decide to continue to carry WWE ' s pay - per - view events , given that providers keep a significant share of each purchase , and incur minimal costs ( apart from WWE ' s share of the fee for each purchase ) to carry the events : " It ' s found money for them . " DirecTV later quietly dropped carriage of WWE PPVs . In response , WWE said , " Yes , DIRECTV has decided to stop offering our PPV ' s residentially and commercially . The only other option would be to work through the local cable provider . " On February 19 , 2014 , Dish Network announced that they would carry WWE pay - per - views on an event by event basis , beginning with Elimination Chamber . Dish Network released a statement saying , " Dish will not offer the ‘ WWE Elimination Chamber ’ PPV on 2 / 23 . WWE is not willing to adjust their PPV costs to satellite and cable companies , which is unfair to their customers . We need to re - focus our efforts to support partners that better serve Dish customers . " Dish later made a decision to air Wrestlemania XXX . Advertising . In October 2014 , it was reported Mattel , Kmart , and Pepsi would begin advertising on the network starting the week of October 13 . Wilson stated that although no commercial breaks will occur during scheduled programming , 30 second adverts would run in between shows , and that one 15 or 30 - second advert would be shown prior to every fourth stream for on - demand content .