WWE Network: An open letter from a fan

I’m not actually sending this letter to the WWE, but this is my public plea in regards to the WWE Network.

Dear WWE,

Let me start this letter by telling you that I’ve been a fan for the better part of 30 years. I still remember racking up a ridiculous phone bill of over $1,000 dollars calling your wrestling hotline back in the 1980’s because I just HAD to know what the behind-the-scenes news was.

Ignore the fact that I was six years old and had no clue what I was doing — I was hooked on the product and even at that young age, you were taking advantage of me.

When the Internet exploded, I was glued to any kind of dirt sheets, rumors and spoilers I could find. Even when your show wasn’t on, you had me thinking about your product and I couldn’t wait to see what was going to happen next.

I reached my formative years at the perfect time, as I was just starting college when the Attitude Era was at it’s peak. My friends and I would get together every Monday to watch Raw and we’d argue about whether we should switch to Nitro or check out what that ECW show was all about.

Every pay-per-view Sunday, we were glued to the set, excited about what the next big spot was going to be. Who was going to be the champion and what kind of hell would they put themselves through to get there?

Today, I’m in my 30’s and you’ve given us the WWE Network. You’ve given me the ability to go back and watch some of the shows that I still remember. You’ve brought a level of nostalgia that all of us crave in one way or another.

I really enjoy the network and at under 10 dollars, it’s a bargain — but there’s a problem here.

While watching the Money in the Bank pay-per-view, I started really noticing some lag. Now I’m fully aware that these issues can be related to my network or a number of different issues, but I started digging and I found out that others were having the same problem.

Four days in a row, I’ve tried to jump on my Xbox 360 to watch the WWE Network and four days in a row, I’ve gotten error messages. Again, I’ve gone through the process of troubleshooting to ensure that it’s not my network. I can watch Netflix, Hulu Plus and HBO GO — but not your network.

You have a great product and it’s something that we as fans love, but you’re going to lose us quickly if we can’t access it. We have jobs and families and other responsibilities. Part of the allure of the network is that we can jump on and watch for a limited time and come back later.

If you’re not available to me during my 30 minute break in my day, you’re not worth a dime to me.

Please, take care of these issues. I’d love to share the memories of Ultimate Warrior vs. Hulk Hogan with my son. I want him to see the ridiculous “Brawl for All” concept. I want him to see what the “crimson mask” means. I can’t do that if you continue to have connectivity issues and if your network is down.

Sincerely,

A guy who simply wants his paid-for product to work properly