Any idea if there are any issues that might prevent AWA from airing on the WWE Network? I know the rights issues are a bit crazy due to ESPN having a clause that give them exclusive TV rights to the AWA's show but does that cover streaming websites like the WWE Network?
No, their exclusive rights only cover specific airings of the ESPN TV show. WWE owns the master tapes of everything else that AWA produced and they can do whatever they want with them. AWA used to produce all sorts of syndicated repackagings and secondary market shows and such and as far as I know there's literally nothing preventing any of the AWA footage from airing on the Network. We've already seen hours of ESPN footage on DVD releases from WWE as well, so clearly even that isn't an issue.
From border to border and coast to coast, it's time for everyone to see Bockwinkel - Hennig wrestle for an hour!
ReplyDeleteI would like to see more AWA on the network, and while they are at it the following:
ReplyDeleteClassic WCW Saturday Night shows
More World Class
More Stampede
Original WWF superstars
More prime time
Mid south stuff
It's really been a dead zone for additions since February.
ReplyDeleteTrue, which sucks. I'm hoping after Wrestlemania they start adding more stuff.
ReplyDeleteI'm not surprised but it is kinda annoying that we aren't getting any secondary shows.
ReplyDeleteThe moment Mid-South goes up is the moment they'll get me to resubscribe. Until then, I'll just find NXT through other means.
ReplyDeleteI'd bet money they thought ECW+all the classic PPVs, Nitro/Raw would enough and they could just put that shit up and focus 100% of new and current shit.
ReplyDeleteNXT is pretty awesome. But yes, I hope Mid South goes up soon.
ReplyDeleteIt's been pretty well documented in a semi-official capacity that they don't care about the older stuff on the network
ReplyDeleteThe original WWF Superstars episodes would be so awesome.
ReplyDeleteWhen I first subscribed to the Network...late nights were filled with ECW Hardcore TV, WCCW and WWE Old School.
ReplyDeleteIt's not like that any more...and I doubt that it will ever go back to that.
Would I love to revisit my youth and get to watch my beloved AWA on the Network? To watch The Crusher...Baron Von Raschke...Kenny "The Sodbuster" Jay...
...but, it is definitely a niche market. (And the thought of sitting through all the squash matches and basic promos from AWA All-Star Wrestling--the way it was aired on the Milwaukee PBS channel on Sundays that our cable system carried--is guaranteed to ruin some cherished memories...)
I doubt ESPN is charging them much for the license to the TV footage. Not exactly the biggest ratings grabber.
ReplyDeleteI think that was just filler content so they could say 'look at all this classic sfuff' while they were getting the REALLY important stuff off the ground. Legends house, total divas etc.
ReplyDeleteThey should really just eventually sell jump drives with everything in the vault from AWA, NWA/WCW, ECW, etc and just be done with it. Just overload the nostalgia market and let it go to rest already so we can all move on with our lives.
ReplyDeleteYeah I'm ok with that actually.
ReplyDeleteI want to see some DJ Peterson and the Trooper tag title defenses.
ReplyDeleteIn all seriousness, Rockers versus Rose/Somers FTW.
I felt like DJ Peterson was paired with a half-dozen different guys, with every switch totally unexplained. The only team which had more unexplained changes was the Top Guns, in which Derrick Dukes and Jon Paul were interchangeably switched as if we couldn't tell the difference between an African-American and a Frenchy sounding Minneapolis white guy.
ReplyDeleteKind of reminds me of Bagwell in the mid-90's. It seemed like he had a new tag-team partner every 6 months or so.
ReplyDeleteWWE owns all of the AWA footage, including the ESPN program. ESPN's deal with the AWA in the '80s gave them the right to re-air their AWA program forever, even though the actual owners of the footage were the Gagnes.
ReplyDeleteI'd forgotten about that, but each of Bagwell's teams had success - Stars & Stripes, 2 Cold, and American Males all held the titles at some point. DJ Peterson seemed to come out with everybody at some point and didn't have success until there was no one left to put the titles on except DJ & the Trooper.
ReplyDeleteThat Bagwell & Trooper wound up tagging together and winning gold in WCW kinda ties it all together...
ReplyDeleteWhat's funny is, they don't care about the older stuff and it's pretty well documented that we don't care for the newer stuff. This may be an impasse...
ReplyDeleteHeh, I remember watching AWA on TMJ-4 on Sunday mornings in the late-80s, as well as on Ch. 18 late at night. It's insane how much wrestling there used to be on TV.
ReplyDeleteScrubbing music might be an issue. AWA used a lot of unlicensed music for entrances.
ReplyDeleteI need me some Badd Company.
ReplyDeleteUsed to love falling asleep to AWA on Espn classic. Great background stuff
Also if they slapped together a bare bones documentary of the Team Challenge Series?? I would love that! Talking no budget just have a few guys in like a WWE Classics on Demand roundtable and cover it.
ReplyDeleteFrom both a real (it was a good ideal in theory) and cheese factor (the execution). I think it would be a nice two hour piece.