The wwe is spending about 40 million to turns there studios etc to hd.

Source
Wwe.com

It's quite surprising that WWE Inc. waited so long to do this.... historically, they had always been "early adopters" of new technology.

I couldn't find the article on the Web site - do you have a direct link?

It's quite surprising that WWE Inc. waited so long to do this.... historically, they had always been "early adopters" of new technology.

I couldn't find the article on the Web site - do you have a direct link?

http://www.tvpredictions.com/wwe051207.htm
http://www.wrestlezone.com/article.php?articleid=189721123

I'm actually not surprised at all. Vince McMahon is no fool and will only spend his $$$ when he can get return on his investment. What's the point of going HD if the majority of your audience will not be able to see your newly revised product in HD? Here are 5 very good reasons why this did not happen earlier:

1) The USA network (WWE RAW) is not yet available in HD and is supposed to launch "Fall 2007"... which means before December 21st 2007.
DirecTV will carry it as soon as it's launched (announced).

2) The WWE ECW show airs on the Sci-Fi Channel which is also launching in HD in Fall 2007 (DirecTV).

3) WWE Smackdown used to air on UPN which only recently (Fall 2006) got reorganized as the CW.

4) The WWE's main audience is J6P and J6P is only now starting to purchased HDTV's and a great deal of those users do not subscribe to HDTV packages and/or don't have HDTV capable set-top-boxes.

5) The WWE generates loads of cash selling it's product on DVD. Now that High Def players exist (Fall 2006) and are becoming more affordable (XMAS 2007), the WWE will be able to release it's content on High Def discs in 2008 and further recoup it's investment of going HD.

I hope TSN launches a TSN2 network and gets WWE back because watching WWE RAW (even in HD) on the Score HD with the bottom cut off for the "ticker" will be a pain in the a$$ (that's if BEV even gets SCORE HD by then... almost no one in Canada is carying it). When airing actual sporting events (WWE, Soccer, Basketball etc) they should have an "interactive" feature for their ticker which allows the viewer to press a button to "call for it" IF they want it and otherwize leave the ticker off. At least for SMACKDOWN, you can watch the FULL version on CW (JAN 2008).

I wonder which HDM format the WWE will adopt? Blu-Ray? HD-DVD?
I have a feeling that Vince McMahon knows (or at least Shane McMahon does) that a high percentage of PS3 owners are part of his target audience... Also, since there won't be any material to release in HD until at least Q2 of 2008, prices of other stand alone players should have leveled off by then so I have a feeling that they will go Blu.

Some great points - and ones that apply to all sports in HD - its often about carriage and audience rather than "Sportsnet / CBC / TSN / is screwing us Westerners / Sens / ECW fans again".

Also, I believe the ticker is part of The Score's broadcast license and they have to have it.

wrestling is a perfect fit for HD technology. But now people will think its all fake :p

Most people don't think it fake.However they know the outcome is pre set.

It should make it even more popular when folks get a glance at the divas in High def.;)

Most people don't think it fake.

Really? I find that hard to believe.

The wwe has got alot of respect for what there schedule.Aslo what they do out side of the ring in terms of charity work.Its is said when the wwe has more viewers then the nhl in the states.

deleted various posts regarding how much a sport wrestling is. Frankly I can think of a few sports such as boxing which I question, however, Wrestling is typically categorized under Sports Programming and we're going to leave it that way!

Lets just leave it please and let those that are interested have this thread to discuss amongst themselves.

Anymore trolls debating this will be served infractions.

The wwe has got alot of respect for what there schedule.Aslo what they do out side of the ring in terms of charity work.Its is said when the wwe has more viewers then the nhl in the states.
Cable ratings for WWE beats MLB, NBA, and NHL during the regular season.