Professional wrestling fascinates me. And when I say "fascinates," I mean I can't fathom how, in the year 2016, anyone is still watching these stupid steroid soap operas. But considering the inexplicable overlap of wrestling fans and people in my line of work, I've begrudgingly absorbed a baseline level of wrestling knowledge. That's why I'm reviewing the official WWE iPad app. I hoped it would be a fun excuse to spite the very concept of professional wrestling and everything it stands for. But, lo and behold, despite my astronomical levels of skepticism, the free WWE app actually offers an excellent service for fans with a wealth of features that are well worth the $10-per-month price. It's also the first Editors' Choice that made me die a little on the inside.
Why Would Anyone Watch This?
I tested the WWE app on an iPad Air 2 ($445.00 at eBay) but it's also available for Android phones and tablets, Kindle Fire, the Apple TV ($148.38 at Amazon) , and a bevy of smart TVs from companies such as Samsung and LG. As I mentioned, the initial download is free, and anyone can enjoy a limited amount of content, such as video clips and photo galleries, without signing up for a subscription. But to get the most out of the app you need to purchase a WWE Network subscription for $10 per month. There's a one-month free trial, too, in case you're on the fence.
As a platform, the WWE Network is surprisingly forward-looking, considering that it comes from a group as anachronistic as the modern WWE. Launched two years ago, the WWE Network attempts to cut out the middleman of cable companies and deliver pro wrestling goodness directly to fans. I'm the polar opposite of a wrestling fan and was nonetheless blown away by the sheer depth and breadth of content available to stream in silky-smooth 720p through the app.
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There are hundreds of hours of videos to watch and enough search options to effectively browse through them. Want to watch last month's Main Event? How about the 2007 WrestleMania when Donald Trump shaved Vince McMahon's head in a battle of boneheaded billionaires? And if you're feeling even more nostalgic, you can watch videos from groups that don't even exist anymore, such as the American Wrestling Association's ESPN Champ clips from 1988. No Juggalo Championship Wrestling clips, though.
To rescue yourself from a wrestling binge-watching hole, you can save promising videos to your Watchlist to check out later. And if you can't decide what to watch, the WWE Network streams shows 24/7, including original content, such as backstage interviews and documentaries. The schedule tab lets you know what's coming on next, and commercials are limited to brief ads in between shows, not during them. You can also set parental controls to keep kids from watching the more violent stuff, although if you're a parent letting your child watch wrestling that genie is already out of the bottle.
How Is This Actually Good?
Based solely on the quality of the core functionality, I was already bracing myself for giving the WWE app the high score it deserves, despite that being a betrayal of my core values. But the deeper I dove into the service, the more clever extra features I found, and the angrier I became at its sheer goodness.
Part of the genius of the WWE Network is how it leverages decades of legacy programming, but without an easy-to-navigate interface, that wouldn't be worth as much. Fortunately, using the app is a breeze. The simple but effective grid highlights videos in a way that reminded me of the similarly attractive Amazon Instant Video ($0.00 at Apple.com) .
In addition to watching videos, you can access the shop page to buy shirts, belts, and other merchandise. You can also look up and purchase tickets for upcoming events near you. These sub-pages are technically part of the app, but their interfaces look copied over from the website and are less pretty as a result. Still, it's cool that they're included.
More exciting is the Superstar page. Here you can scroll through big glistening photos of wrestlers, from WWE World Heavyweight Champion Roman Reigns to NXT Women's Champion Bayley. Tap on a Superstar and you're taken to their page, on which you can read their bio, check out their stats, watch clips of their greatest performances, and follow them on Twitter. Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson's page even has a link to the iTunes listing of his hit song "WWE: Electrifying (The Rock)." Unsurprisingly, Hulk Hogan is currently nowhere to be found in this section.
This all sounds great, and it is, but in case my blatant, cartoonish contempt wasn't a big-enough clue, the WWE app is only appealing if you're already a wrestling fan, or want to become one for some reason. Other subscription-based video streaming services like Netflix and Hulu have something to offer anyone, but the WWE Network is only really worth it for the faithful. But it is worth it. Pay-per-views alone typically cost around $50 to $60 each. With the WWE app, they're included as part of the base monthly subscription along with all the other shows, a potentially great deal depending on your level of fandom.
Heel Turn
I confess, I don't hate pro wrestling. It's dumb, but dumb doesn't always equal bad. And I actually enjoy its blurring of fact and fiction to the point where both become irrelevant. I just think that kind of tantalizing postmodernism is wasted on silly fake athletics. That may convince you that my review of the WWE app shouldn't be trusted, because I'm not remotely part of the target audience. But consider this: If someone like me can recognize and appreciate that the WWE app is packed with wonderful features and a remarkable video library for fans to enjoy, it's probably pretty fantastic. It pains me to admit it, but it's a worthy Editors' Choice. Maybe we should give it a champion belt?
The WWE iPad app does right by fans of beefy human cartoon characters pretending to beat each other up.
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