FloSports’ announcement of their new FloSlam streaming service left a lot of folks understandably confused as to how a $20 pro wrestling streaming service could possibly be construed as the big news of the day. Well, maybe it’s not the biggest news if you’re a WWE-only wrestling fan, but it makes a big difference to the state of my wallet. Let me break it down for you.
This is what my indie wrestling budget looks like in an average month—
Two Evolve shows, at the live and VOD level ($15 each): $30
Demand Progress: $7.50
Highspots Wrestling Network: $9.99
Freelance Wrestling live stream: $5
Discretionary budget: $15
So all told, most months I’m spending anywhere from $52.49 to $67.49 on independent wrestling, depending on what might be in that last category. Sometimes it’s a month of another streaming service, like RevPro on Demand, sometimes it’s a single show from FIP, Shine, or another promotion— it varies, but usually I can’t justify going much past that, even being Cageside Indie Guy.
But even if FloSlam sticks with only the WWN promotions, that changes. Much in the same way that the WWE Network freed my wallet from the tyranny of $60 pay-per-views and put me in a position to set aside this sort of money for indie wrestling, FloSlam not only bumps that discretionary budget up ten bucks, but also takes FIP and Shine out of that equation since I’ll always get those shows, too. More wrestling for me!
And, since FloSlam are aiming to collect as much pro wrestling under their aegis as they can manage, it’ll only get better. Granted, there’s not much they can do to knock more stuff off my list— Progress would be a big one, as would PWX (the main reason I subscribe to Highspots) or Freelance. Streamlining even one of those into my FloSlam subscription would be a great help, plus every promotion that isn’t on my list is one more that I won’t have to pay extra for if I decide to check them out.
FloSlam’s commitment to expansion also means that it’s not just Evolve hardcores like myself that benefit. If they could score the coup of getting Ring of Honor events into their system, those are full-price pay-per-views! Pro Wrestling Guerrilla have apparently refused to so much have a conversation about getting on the service, but if it does well and they give at some point, even on a slight delay, well, the DVDs are already on a delay, does another month really matter that much?
Plus there’s the international angle— FloSlam have publicly committed to getting Mexican and Japanese promotions on their service. Certainly now it’s easier than ever to follow these international promotions if you don’t speak the language (I myself have a NJPW World subscription and watch CMLL Super Viernes most Friday nights), but there’s no denying the awesome convenience that having lucha and puro on FloSlam, even from smaller promotions, would create.
One more point here before I finish up. A significant barrier to entry for indie wrestling is how expensive it can be to wrangle past shows. For promotions that don’t have streaming services with full archives, the past comes at $15 a pop. Not anymore, not if you’re on FloSlam. The complete DGUSA/Evolve/FIP/Shine archive is going up there, so if you want to spend a week binging on the last year of shows getting caught up before you jump into the new stuff, you’ll be able to do it for a flat rate. One assumes this will set a precedent for other promotions to toss their whole archives into the pot as well.
Bottom line, folks, is the same thing I’m always pounding on about in Sermon on the Mat. There is wrestling out there for you, wrestling that will play exactly to your personal tastes, and all you have to do is reach out and grab it. If that’s Raw or SmackDown or NXT, that’s great! But it’s easier and easier and cheaper and cheaper to find it out there if you need to look deeper, and FloSlam seems poised to speed that process along even faster.
I, for one, can’t wait to subscribe. How about you folks?