The current era of professional wrestling is hotter than ever. Professional wrestling has been the focus of 7 of the Top 10 Cable TV Shows each week over the past year. Jay Leno, Tonight Show host asked Shaquille Olsen, NBA Superstar Shaquille Neal, his favorite thing on television. Shaq quickly responded, “professional wrestling.”
The NBC Television Network announced the results of a national survey last February in which it listed the “top viewer sports” in America as:
- National Football League
- Professional Wrestling
- Major League Baseball
- National Basketball Association.
Professional wrestling is true family entertainment with demographics ranging from ages 3 to 93, 40% female, and very heavy in the 21 to 49-year old male market as well. A total of 35 million people also watch professional wrestling every week on television. Millions more attend sold-out arenas to see it in real life.
The World Wrestling Federation is led by Vince McMahan Jr. as president, while Ted Turner owns World Championship Wrestling.
TV Guide has forecast that the WWF and WCW will both make $550 millions this year. Vince McMahan made the WWF public in the first quarter and raised another $250 million. McMahan has been making so much money, he recently declared that he was starting his own professional football team (The Extreme Football League), in an attempt to be competitive with the National Football League.
There is a wide gap between the top two pro-wrestling organizations and all others at this moment. The closest to being third is a small group out of New York/Philadelphia calling itself Extreme Championship Wrestling (ECW). ECW fails to have mass appeal and profit potential because of its extremely violent and “hardcore” nature. ECW’s ratings for their weekly Friday television program on The Nashville Network (TNN) have hovered below the 1.0 mark, while TNN has promised 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.
It is the goal of the IWA to become the #3 pro wrestling organization in the industry within three years, while, at the same time, making a minimum of 10% of the current monies being made by the #2 organization (WCW) or, approximately $35 million per year, with projected costs of approximately one quarter that amount, thus creating a viable, profitable scenario for all of those involved.
1.1 Objectives
IWA Championship Wrestling has set the following objectives to be achieved during over first three years of expansion and growth:
- Be the third most popular professional wrestler organization in the industry.
- Secure a national cable television contract for a weekly one-hour program.
- Start producing the weekly, hour-long pro wrestling program.
- You must recruit top talent from the past and find new talent to help you develop writers and managers.
- Distribute and syndicate television programming around the world.
- Promote live event tours in areas with television programming.
1.2 Mission
IWA Championship Wrestling plans to create a family-oriented television network for both domestic and international distribution. The television program will be supported by live events tours. These additional revenues will come from:
- Quarterly Pay-Per-View Events
- Advertising revenues and sponsorships
- Merchandising souvenirs and concession items and a variety of videos available for sale via live events and mail order.
- Creation of an IWA Professional Wrestling School .
- Engagement fees for IWA talent: Personal appearance fees
Within three years, the IWA is expected to be the number 3 professional wrestling organisation and a major industry player. Our programming will consistently receive TV ratings in the 2.0 to 2.5 range, and we will have used major established stars to entice viewers and fans to tune in while, at the same time, developed outstanding new talent from 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 will focus its appeal on filling the huge void in professional wrestling. It will provide ‘#8220family-oriented” and ‘#8220family friendly” professional sports entertainment programming and live events. The IWA is committed to family values and will appeal to more people than just hardcore fans.
There is currently no pro wrestling programming. The WWF and WCW are the only options for fans, and they look identical in format and design. It is part of the weekly television programming that emphasizes extreme violence, vulgarity as well as disrespect for women and authority.
Extreme Championship Wrestling, which is currently available on the Nashville Network (TNN), is the only alternative to WWF or WCW programming. It appeals only to the extreme, hardcore fan.
IWA fans will be encouraged encourage their children and grandchildren to follow our programming. The IWA will return ‘#8220;rasslin’ to professional wrestling and place more emphasis on talent, skill and ability than the twisted, demented stories currently in fashion with other organizations.
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 need not be just for kids … or just for the hardcore extreme. The IWA will be able to tap into the ‘#8220’ main stream and will generate maximum profits.