Porn. Online pharmacies. Offshore investment brokers. It’s long been said that the more “questionable” lines of business are the ones leading the way when it comes to innovation online.
Maybe that’s why it comes as little surprise that World Wrestling Entertainment has been trying out an unusual tactic that some are saying may endanger the livelihood of advertisers.
Eschewing the traditional commercial break, the WWE has been hustling viewers over to WWE.com by shifting live coverage of wrestling matches to its web site.
Says Chris Chambers, VP of interactive media at WWE:
“This experience has changed the way we think about our product. It’s a 24/7 product now.”
Of course, ad heads are not as pleased, but there’s little they can do about it. According to this article on TV Week, WWE’s deal with its network (USA) is a straight cash arrangement, meaning the company has no direct tie to the success (or failure) of the ads shown during commercial slots.
So will asking fans to switch over to a different platform (TV to computer) mid-way through a match have a negative impact on the effectiveness of advertisers’ messages or will it have a halo effect on their brand via increased ratings and audience retention? It’s probably too early to tell. But bloodlust (and a love of Spandex) dictates we watch.
Related: Super Bowl Advertisers’ Sites Fell Short When Surge Hit
(link via PaidContent)
