WWE Rumors: Another PPV Reportedly Set To Air One Week After ‘SummerSlam’
WWE will reportedly air a Payback pay-per-view on WWE Network just one week after SummerSlam, WrestleVotes announced on Thursday. If it goes ahead, Payback will take place on August 30.
The news comes after months of speculation about the company holding a second big event next month. However, the original plans were to reportedly to host another Evolution show, which would have been dedicated solely to the women’s roster.
The promotion has only put on one Evolution in the past, and fans and talent have been clamoring for another. However, the latest rumors suggest that they’re opting for a more traditional show, possibly because there will be storylines that carry over from Summerslam.
Only two matches have been confirmed for the biggest bash of the summer so far, but multiple storylines have already been set in motion. There may end up being too many to manage within the confines of one night.
This year’s WrestleMania saw WWE introduce a two-act structure for the marquee shows. Payback might serve as a second-half of SummerSlam, with the proposed card being split into two. These programs have been known to go too long in the past, so perhaps Payback is being brought back for the sake of splitting up the action.
The decision to air Payback — which last took place in 2017 — so soon after SummerSlam could be due to the fact that AEW will host its All Out pay-per-view the following weekend. While the company has counterprogrammed its rival’s events with shows in the past, the latest ratings decline might have discouraged them from going head-to-head with another major wrestling event.
According to another report from WrestlingNews.co, there are supposedly plans in place to hold more special events in the coming months. There have been talks about bringing back Saturday Night Main Event specials as well.
The idea is that the extra pay-per-views and specials will increase Network subscriptions. Because the promotion can’t host live shows with fans due to the pandemic, they might be trying to make the best of the situation by providing extra content that’s exclusive to the streaming service.
This method could be prosperous. As the WrestlingNews.co report highlighted, the latest quarter earnings report was very positive. Vince McMahon’s promotion has exceeded its revenue expectations as they’ve saved money without fans in attendance.
With people still stuck at home looking for fresh content, it makes sense to take full advantage of the streaming service.
