2020 has been a particularly hard year for the wrestling industry across the globe, forcing it to adapt amidst the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Even one of the largest organizations, WWE, has not been immune to these difficulties, prompting the biggest wrestling promotion in the world to act in questionable ways. Following a controversial decision with regards to streaming just last month, the company has again altered its ruling on the matter.
It was in early September that WWE announced forthcoming changes to how the company's wrestlers would interact with "third party" platforms like Twitch and YouTube, essentially banning them from making money on third party deals. Amid heavy confusion, speculation, and anger from both WWE talent and fans, the company has further updated its new approach to its wrestlers' personal channels.
WWE announced that in four weeks, the company will officially be taking over the Twitch accounts for wrestlers under contract and that certain talent will be contractually obligated to stream on the platform. This news comes as a third update to WWE's rulings with regards to these Twitch and YouTube accounts. The company will officially take control over the Twitch accounts of talents regardless if they are used under their ring names or real names. Further updates have indicated that streaming on Twitch will become a requirement as per new WWE contracts.
Further information of this control, as detailed through WrestlingInc, specifies that talent with now receive "a percentage of the revenue" generated through Twitch. WWE will be the official owners of these Twitch accounts even if they were established before the most recent ruling or before a talent signed with the company. While the reaction from fans has been one of ire and heavy criticism, these new regulations have also garnered attention from bigger sources. Even rival promotion All Elite Wrestling mocked WWE's new streaming rules.
One of WWE's most prominent critics is former presidential candidate Andrew Yang who updated the still developing story. According to Yang, new contracts are being presented to wrestlers that will require WWE talent to stream on Twitch. Yang elaborates that should talent not engage with these new obligations for producing Twitch content, they could face suspension or penalties.
This new update to WWE's ongoing changes continue to push already frustrated fans further away from the product. Wrestlers use platforms like Twitch and YouTube to grow personal brands and interact with fans. Even popular wrestler Daniel Bryan started a Twitch channel before the rule change, demonstrating how it can be a huge benefit to wrestlers even when not traditional gamers. For WWE to remove any level of control coupled with content creation becoming a requirement, this new step is considered a gross overstep by fans and critics.
Source: WrestlingInc