John Cena heads to Backlash tonight, promising an announcement that will “shake the foundation” of WWE. In our staff’s bonus predictions, most of us agree it’s probably tied to WWE’s latest attempt to separate fans from their money: Club WWE.
But what is Club WWE? In short: it’s a service that offers fans access to exclusive superstar merchandise and content, as well as “early access to WWE event tickets worldwide,” according to WWE’s website.
Depending on your level of fandom, this could be a deal too good to pass up. For collectors, this could mean scoring rare memorabilia. The resale of limited-edition merch could fetch a pretty penny on eBay, which might offset the still-unknown club cost.
The exclusive content angle may also tie into WWE’s recent crackdown on streamers and creators sharing clips online. After all, a subscription service loses some appeal if some renegade schmo can repost premium content for free.
Where Club WWE gets tricky, though, is ticket presales. How much of a benefit is that to the average fan? WWE may run major markets like Chicago regularly, but plenty of cities see the company only once a year — if that. In February, WWE returned to Lubbock, Texas, for the first time in nearly seven years.
Is early access for an occasional WWE event really worth another monthly subscription? That’s up to the consumer. Still, for Club WWE to appeal beyond diehards like Green Shirt Guy, it’ll need content and merch compelling enough to hook fans in places like Lubbock. That’s a big ask, and an even bigger commitment to deliver a quality product from the sports entertainment giant.
Can WWE pull it off? We’ll see. But if Cena’s announcement is Club WWE-related, he’ll need to deliver one hell of a sales pitch. For that, WWE chose the right man for the job.
