Over the weekend we heard that the RAW 20th Anniversary Collection DVD box set will in fact NOT be released to the UK and European market after all.
High production related costs are cited as the reason. We would like to thank WDN reader Jon Christopher for passing along the update.
However, fans in the UK and Europe have the following three titles to look forward to in the coming month. All three of these are UK exclusive on the Blu-ray format:
Speaking of the RAW box set, it’s currently back-ordered both here on Amazon.com and on Best Buy’s website. The product has not been available to order on the official WWEShop site since the Cyber Monday surge at the beginning of this month.
The 12-disc RAW 20th Anniversary Collection DVD did make it to Australia in limited numbers (currently listed as “out of stock” on WWEDVD.com.au).
An interesting note about the Australian release is that the exact same packaging as the US version was used (with US rating, catalog number etc) apart from the outer seal on the set which has an Australian rating sticker, and of course the discs themselves being Region 4 encoded. You can get a glimpse of that in the video below.
Early information we’ve received on the release of the WrestleMania 30 DVD/Blu-ray next year reveals possible plans of a “limited edition” version, most likely a store exclusive, with one of the bonuses being a WrestleMania themed book.
In addition to that, as of now there will be the usual 3-disc DVD and 2-disc Blu-ray editions, and for certain overseas markets a ‘bare bones’ 2-disc DVD without extras.
Last September the John Cena and Randy Orton “Superstar Collection” DVDs made it to the UK and Europe for the first time. It looks like another two from the series will be joining those – Daniel Bryan and Sheamus at the beginning of the new year.
Kayfabe Commentaries posted up the new screenshot below of Jim Cornette with the caption: “tick…tick…tick…tick…he’s gonna blow…”.
Breaking Kayfabe – Jim Cornette releases on January 7th via DVD and On Demand.
Find below all out-of-print WWF DVDs ending on eBay today and tomorrow!
Also, has anyone else noticed that Fremantle’s Blu-rays have poorer picture quality than Silvervision’s? I’ve been told the same is true of their DVD’s, but haven’t bought any yet.
For years I boycotted Silvervision’s DVD’s due their shoddy PAL conversions, and imported all my DVD’s from the US. Now we have quality issues with Fremantle’s Blu-ray’s.
I imported most of the Fremantle Blu-rays not available here and I think the picture quality looks great for the PPVs. Probably depends on the TV picture settings, 99% of the time the settings out the box are crap and you would have to tinker with it to get the picture just right.
Also Fremantle includes DTS-HD sound for ppv Blu-rays whereas Silvervision was only 5.1 Dolby Digital which is only common on DVDs.
Remember Silvervision Couldnt Release The Superstar Billy Graham Story DVD that couldnt go past the BBFC clarification so i think in this case it was hard to get the Raw 20th Anniversary past the BBFC crap, Maybe Silvervision would have got it released if they were still the distributor but maybe not, Have to agree with Thomas GoodEarl fremantle need to release the old Blu-ray even though i have them all!!
I have the strong feeling that if SilverVision still had the UK & Europe distribution rights then it would get released as they did all the anthology sets that would all need the BBFC to go over all of it.
Fremantle have had the rights for a year now & I have to say that I’m really not impressed. For these reasons:
A: Lack of decent special offers, & when they do do them the prices don’t come close to what SilverVision did.
B: Lack of a back catalogue range!
C: No release of the individual WrestleMania DVD’s which SilverVision would have done by now!
D: No re-releases of old Blu-Rays
E: It is just a greedy big company hence the huge prices for SuperStar sets or 3-Disc DVD’s or 2-Disc Blu-Rays. SilverVision had the friendly small company feel that Fremantle severely lack.
im not surprised it was cancelled – it will cost far more in costs than they may make back due to the cost they would need to charge.
as for those mania anthologies, did they have to get them recertified if they had already been done for other releases? plus that was silvervision, maybe they were not as smart with their money as freemantle are.
id buy it from amazon.com but thats it – i refuse to pay scalper ebay prices and since it isnt a UK release, its not something i consider essential.
Lee, I completely have the same mindset as you. If it isn’t released in the UK it isn’t something I worry myself with, even though it would have been a nice set to own.
The only release I actually wanted from the past 12 months and we’re not getting it. Cheers WWE/Fremantle, will do the same for you sometime.
I’m wondering the Region 4 copy might play on a Region 2 player, but even if it does I’m sure it would cost a fortune to import from Australian eBay sellers, etc.
Gave up waiting for a UK release early this month,ordered a copy from amazon,cost me £55 inc postage with no import charges at all and it arrived within 10 days
Shame it’s not getting a UK release, will be tracking it down for sure online from somewhere. Hopefully now that the reason has been given (damn BBFC), people will stop plaguing Fremantle’s Facebook and Twitter pages asking for it, seriously doubt it though
WWEHomeVideoUK have gone on their facebook/twitter and said it’s due to “BBFC certification”, not “production” costs specifically. I can tell you as my friend works for an anime distributor in the UK that that whole BBFC process is really expensive and insane at times. The BBFC charge for every hour of content on each DVD/Blu-ray needing certification otherwise it can’t released. (UK law dictates this has to be done whereas a system like this does not exist in the US for DVD/Blu-ray releases. The US could label whatever rating they want on the packaging.)
The BBFC costs go into thousands of pounds per hour of content needing to be certified. Given how many hours of content there is in this box set I dread to think how much the certification would cost, and that’s excluding the general authoring & production cost of a DVD and Blu-ray in general which, for anyone who doesn’t know are high as well.
Erm, we did get those WM and Royal Rumble Anthology sets back in the day DESPITE the fact we had the cheaper and unedited Tagged Classics, but yet the Raw boxset will be too much?
Oh well, looks like I’m gonna have to import. Should work out a little cheaper considering the $ to £ conversion (And hope I don’t get an import fee. Sometimes I do, sometimes I don;’t. XD).
Worth noting that if you don’t have the Raw set, you should check your actual Best Buy stores. All the ones within 200 miles of me say out of stock on the site, but I found a copy of it at the store yesterday.
So glad that I imported the Raw 20 set from Amazon.com. Actually ended up with a second copy too (purchased from WWE Shop when it looked like there were problems with my Amazon order), so have kept that sealed and will see if it increases in value over the years.
I know people are joking about a VHS of WMXXX, but as a former video collector, I’d genuinely welcome it. Not to watch, it’d just be a cool, nostalgic souvenir.
hahahaha! production costs?? really?? here in Europe we pay Dvd’s like they are made of gold! prices are really high compared to those in the US and still. . . ?? Ugh! it’s better if i stop typing . . . . thank you WWEDVD.CO.UK once again!
It’s cancelled because of production costs? Based on recent history you would think that if it would be cut due to production costs, it would be North America that would suffer. The UK supposedly has a much more loyal fanbase that are more willing to buy DVDs/BRs than North America. Obviously by the fact that Blu-rays are still being sold there.
Now I’m happy I ordered the Raw anniversary set from ebay, it is expected to arrive this week. Sad though for UK/Europe people that did not order. You have got to be fast now if you really want it!!
Posted in 
Tags: 
Sucks for you UK fans. That set is glorious.
Also, has anyone else noticed that Fremantle’s Blu-rays have poorer picture quality than Silvervision’s? I’ve been told the same is true of their DVD’s, but haven’t bought any yet.
For years I boycotted Silvervision’s DVD’s due their shoddy PAL conversions, and imported all my DVD’s from the US. Now we have quality issues with Fremantle’s Blu-ray’s.
I imported most of the Fremantle Blu-rays not available here and I think the picture quality looks great for the PPVs. Probably depends on the TV picture settings, 99% of the time the settings out the box are crap and you would have to tinker with it to get the picture just right.
Also Fremantle includes DTS-HD sound for ppv Blu-rays whereas Silvervision was only 5.1 Dolby Digital which is only common on DVDs.
Remember Silvervision Couldnt Release The Superstar Billy Graham Story DVD that couldnt go past the BBFC clarification so i think in this case it was hard to get the Raw 20th Anniversary past the BBFC crap, Maybe Silvervision would have got it released if they were still the distributor but maybe not, Have to agree with Thomas GoodEarl fremantle need to release the old Blu-ray even though i have them all!!
I have the strong feeling that if SilverVision still had the UK & Europe distribution rights then it would get released as they did all the anthology sets that would all need the BBFC to go over all of it.
Fremantle have had the rights for a year now & I have to say that I’m really not impressed. For these reasons:
A: Lack of decent special offers, & when they do do them the prices don’t come close to what SilverVision did.
B: Lack of a back catalogue range!
C: No release of the individual WrestleMania DVD’s which SilverVision would have done by now!
D: No re-releases of old Blu-Rays
E: It is just a greedy big company hence the huge prices for SuperStar sets or 3-Disc DVD’s or 2-Disc Blu-Rays. SilverVision had the friendly small company feel that Fremantle severely lack.
Can’t really argue with any of your assessments there.
im not surprised it was cancelled – it will cost far more in costs than they may make back due to the cost they would need to charge.
as for those mania anthologies, did they have to get them recertified if they had already been done for other releases? plus that was silvervision, maybe they were not as smart with their money as freemantle are.
id buy it from amazon.com but thats it – i refuse to pay scalper ebay prices and since it isnt a UK release, its not something i consider essential.
Lee, I completely have the same mindset as you. If it isn’t released in the UK it isn’t something I worry myself with, even though it would have been a nice set to own.
The only release I actually wanted from the past 12 months and we’re not getting it. Cheers WWE/Fremantle, will do the same for you sometime.
I’m wondering the Region 4 copy might play on a Region 2 player, but even if it does I’m sure it would cost a fortune to import from Australian eBay sellers, etc.
Gave up waiting for a UK release early this month,ordered a copy from amazon,cost me £55 inc postage with no import charges at all and it arrived within 10 days
I’ve already imported the Raw 20 boxset because I did think that it would never come to the UK.
Raw 20 not getting a UK release is the worst news ever. Just…….. whyyyyyy? D;
Shame it’s not getting a UK release, will be tracking it down for sure online from somewhere. Hopefully now that the reason has been given (damn BBFC), people will stop plaguing Fremantle’s Facebook and Twitter pages asking for it, seriously doubt it though
WWEHomeVideoUK have gone on their facebook/twitter and said it’s due to “BBFC certification”, not “production” costs specifically. I can tell you as my friend works for an anime distributor in the UK that that whole BBFC process is really expensive and insane at times. The BBFC charge for every hour of content on each DVD/Blu-ray needing certification otherwise it can’t released. (UK law dictates this has to be done whereas a system like this does not exist in the US for DVD/Blu-ray releases. The US could label whatever rating they want on the packaging.)
The BBFC costs go into thousands of pounds per hour of content needing to be certified. Given how many hours of content there is in this box set I dread to think how much the certification would cost, and that’s excluding the general authoring & production cost of a DVD and Blu-ray in general which, for anyone who doesn’t know are high as well.
Erm, we did get those WM and Royal Rumble Anthology sets back in the day DESPITE the fact we had the cheaper and unedited Tagged Classics, but yet the Raw boxset will be too much?
Oh well, looks like I’m gonna have to import. Should work out a little cheaper considering the $ to £ conversion (And hope I don’t get an import fee. Sometimes I do, sometimes I don;’t. XD).
Worth noting that if you don’t have the Raw set, you should check your actual Best Buy stores. All the ones within 200 miles of me say out of stock on the site, but I found a copy of it at the store yesterday.
So glad that I imported the Raw 20 set from Amazon.com. Actually ended up with a second copy too (purchased from WWE Shop when it looked like there were problems with my Amazon order), so have kept that sealed and will see if it increases in value over the years.
I know people are joking about a VHS of WMXXX, but as a former video collector, I’d genuinely welcome it. Not to watch, it’d just be a cool, nostalgic souvenir.
I found my copy at fyenand then the day after, Walmart got a bunch in. This was the weekend before Christmas!
And in a couple of months the headline will read…
“WM30 Blu-ray and DVD cancelled. Will now only be released on VHS cassette.”
It’s the cost of getting all the episodes classified by the BBFC that is the cause of it not being released in the UK.
hahahaha! production costs?? really?? here in Europe we pay Dvd’s like they are made of gold! prices are really high compared to those in the US and still. . . ?? Ugh! it’s better if i stop typing . . . . thank you WWEDVD.CO.UK once again!
It’s cancelled because of production costs? Based on recent history you would think that if it would be cut due to production costs, it would be North America that would suffer. The UK supposedly has a much more loyal fanbase that are more willing to buy DVDs/BRs than North America. Obviously by the fact that Blu-rays are still being sold there.
Some things aren’t adding up.
Now I’m happy I ordered the Raw anniversary set from ebay, it is expected to arrive this week. Sad though for UK/Europe people that did not order. You have got to be fast now if you really want it!!