The Real Reason The WWE Network Was Shut Down

The WWE Network saw a lot of growth throughout its time in existence, climbing to over two million subscribers by 2018 and stretching its availability across the globe. Most fans loved it, especially since it allowed them to watch landmark events like WrestleMania and SummerSlam for a mere $10 for a time, which beat paying between $45 and $60 on pay-per-view. However, that popularity wasn't enough to keep the WWE Network alive, seeing as in January of 2021, WWE announced that it sold the Network's distribution rights to NBCUniversal Television and Streaming. With that, WWE's library moved to the Peacock streaming service.

WWE's presence on Peacock became cemented on March 18, 2021, where it remains as of this writing, and the WWE Network officially shut down on April 4 (via Deadline). Peacock Premium grants subscribers all WWE content — including premium live events, originals, etc. — for just $4.99 per month. For that low of a price, despite some content edits that sent some folks into a frenzy, who wouldn't jump all over that offer? Sure enough, people did in droves, and even though the WWE Network lives on in other forms outside of the United States, it has become a distant memory to most.

On paper, the WWE Network was a great idea that benefitted wrestling fans of all ages and preferences for a small fee. However, WWE moving its programming to Peacock simply rendered it obsolete.