A major announcement has been made regarding WWE’s home video distribution, with a 36-year tradition set to come to an end.
Since the WWE Network first launched in 2014, the importance of WWE’s home video market has steadily diminished, naturally given the breadth of content available on WWE’s streaming service.
While WWE have continued to distribute DVDs and Blu-Rays in the years since, its presence is of lessening importance to many fans, with most forms of media these days being consumed on streaming services rather than physically.
Sadly for collectors of physical media the somewhat inevitable day has now come as WWE have announced that they will be ending their home video distribution in Europe.
As announced by WWE Home Video on Twitter, WWE have withdrawn from the home video category in the UK, with no new licensing deals being agreed after 2023.
This naturally also sees their partnership with Freemantle in the UK; who have licensed WWE DVDs and Blu-Rays for 11-years:
The statement reads:
With great sadness we must announce that WWE have taken the decision to withdraw from the Home Video category. No licensing deals will be renewed after 2023.
This means the very last WWE Home Video release from Fremantle will be CROWN JEWEL 2023 (2 disc-DVD) on 18th December (UK) and 22nd December (GER).
WWE Home Video has been releasing VHS, DVD and Blu-Ray for 36 years, the last 11 through Fremantle in Europe, but this will come to an end on 31st December with no further WWE DVD or Blu-Ray stock manufactured.
Everyone at WWE Home Video UK would like to thank all of our collectors and fan for their many years of support and passion.
Since the announcement, Haus of Wrestling have reported that while it marks the end of WWE’s home video distribution in the UK, the “general future” of WWE VHS, DVDs and Blu-Rays is unknown.
However, things aren’t particularly looking good with WrestlingDVDNetwork reporting that WWE Home Video will cease to release any new products worldwide as of 2024.
In a further update a Haus of Wrestling would manage to query the decision, receiving a statement from a WWE higher-up, who explained:
“The home video business has long been in decline, and it will no longer be a place where the company dedicates time and resources.”
Stay tuned to JJA Sport Studio for any further updates on the situation.
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— WWE Home Video UK (@WWEHomeVideoUK) December 5, 2023
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