Variety reports that Vince McMahon said yesterday that they are pursuing the WWE cable channel harder than ever and are looking to launch it as early as this year. WWE is currently talking to cable providers about carrying the network. The WWE network is being planned to be made up of a “variety of shows that don’t revolve around the kind of in-ring wrestling that it currently airs each week on USA Network, Syfy, MyNetwork TV and WGN.”
WWE is hoping that the network will serve as a way to appeal to a broader audience than they currently attract. Vince told the shareholders: “Many times, they are the gatekeepers of the future on whether they encourage kids to watch our program. We haven’t appealed in terms of our product to our older audience as our younger audience.”