Pro wrestling has never been more popular than it is now. The professional wrestling program has been featured on 7 out of 10 top-rated cable television shows in the last year. Jay Leno, Tonight Show host asked Shaquille Olsen, NBA Superstar Shaquille Neal, his favorite thing on television. Shaq quickly replied, “professional wrestling.”
The NBC Television Network released the results from a survey it conducted last February. It listed the ‘#8220’ top viewer sports in America as:
- National Football League
- Professional Wrestling
- Major League Baseball
- National Basketball Association.
Professional wrestling is family entertainment. It appeals to all ages, with 40% of the audience being female and 40% being male. Every week, professional wrestling is watched by 35 million viewers on TV. Millions more crowd to the arenas to watch it in person.
The World Wrestling Federation is led by Vince McMahan Jr. as president, while Ted Turner owns World Championship Wrestling.
TV Guide predicted that the WWF would make $550million this year, while WCW would make $350million. Vince McMahan, who took the WWF public during this first quarter, raised an additional $250million. McMahan’s wealth is so great that he announced recently that he was creating his own professional football league, The Extreme Football League, to challenge the National Football League.
There is a significant gap between the top pro wrestling organisations and all other organizations at this time. Extreme Championship Wrestling (ECW), a small organization based in New York/Philadelphia, is closest to third. ECW is not popular enough to make a profit and has limited appeal. This is due to its violent and hardcore nature. ECW’s ratings for the weekly television program on Friday on The Nashville Network have been below 1.0, despite TNN promising their advertisers a 2.5 rating. IWA Championship Wrestling’s (IWA) goal and mission is to create a family-oriented television program and live events that maximize its appeal for viewers, advertisers, and those who are attending “:live events and paying pay-per view.
The IWA aims to become the third-largest pro wrestling organization within three years. They also aim to make at least 10% of the current monies made by the #2 (WCW), or approximately $35 million annually. Projected costs are approximately one quarter of that amount. This will create a profitable and viable scenario for all involved.
1.1 Objectives
The following goals have been set by IWA Championship Wrestling for the first three years of expansion/growth:
- Make your organization the third most recognizable in professional wrestling.
- Secure a national cable television contract for a weekly one-hour program.
- Production of the weekly, one-hour professional wrestling program should be started.
- Recognize and recruit the best talent available and help to develop writers and managers.
- Television programming can be syndicated and distributed worldwide.
- Promote live events in areas where television programming has been seen.
1.2 Mission
IWA Championship Wrestling will establish a family-oriented television program for domestic and international distribution and sale. It will also support the television program by hosting live events. You will also earn additional revenue from:
- Quarterly pay-per-view events.
- Sponsorships and advertising revenue
- Merchandising of souvenir, concession items, and a series of videos for sale via live events, mail order, and the official IWA website.
- Creation of an IWA Professional Wrestling School .
- For IWA talent, personal appearance fees may apply.
The IWA will be the recognized #3 professional wrestling association and a major player in the sector within 3 years. Our programming will receive consistent TV ratings between 2.0 and 2.5. We will have used established stars to attract viewers and fans while also developing outstanding new talent within.
The IWA is poised to compete for the second most coveted position in the industry, currently held by WCW, within five years and generate about $35 million annually in revenues.
The IWA’s appeal will be to fill the major void in professional wrestle by providing a “family-oriented” and “family friendly” professional sports entertainment programming. By appealing to the masses, rather than a limited group of hardcore fans, the IWA will seek to maximize its appeal, exposure, and profits by being truly committed to “family” values.
No such pro wrestling programming is available at the moment. There is only one pro wrestling programming, and that is the WWF and WCW. They are identical in design and format. It is part of the weekly television programming that emphasizes extreme violence, vulgarity as well as disrespect for women and authority.
Extreme Championship Wrestling is currently the only alternative for WCW and WWF programming. This program can be found on the Nashville Network, (TNN), and appeals to extreme fans only.
IWA fans are encouraged to encourage their children to follow the IWA’s programming. We will establish role models that are positive, strong, and family-oriented in every way. The IWA will bring back “rasslin” professional wrestling and emphasize talent, skill, ability, rather than the bizarre, demented storylines currently in fashion with the other organisations.
It makes strong business sense to appeal to the majority or masses of wrestling fans who range in age from 3 to 93, are 40% female, and very strong in the 21 to 49-year old male segment of the population. Pro wrestling is not just for kids or the extreme. The IWA will be able to tap into the ‘#8220’ main stream and will generate maximum profits.