Professional wrestling is now more popular 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 of Tonight Show asked Shaquille o’Neal, NBA Superstar Shaquille what his favorite thing about TV was. 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. Each week, 35 million people view professional wrestling on television. Millions more flock to sold out arenas to see it in person.
The top two pro wrestling organizations in the industry are the World Wrestling Federation (WWF) guided by its president Vince McMahan, Jr. and the Ted Turner-owned World Championship Wrestling (WCW).
TV Guide predicted that the WWF would make $550million this year, while WCW would make $350million. The WWF was made public by Vince McMahan in the first quarter of the year. He also raised $250 million. McMahan is making such a fortune that he just announced that he would be forming his own professional football league (The Extreme Football League), to try and compete with the National Football League.
There is a wide gap between the top two pro-wrestling organizations and all others at this moment. Extreme Championship Wrestling (ECW) is the closest thing to third. It’s a small group from New York/Philadelphia. ECW’s violent and “hardcore” nature makes it difficult to attract mass audiences and maximize its profit potential. ECW’s ratings on The Nashville Network (TNN), for their weekly Friday television show, have been below the 1.0 mark. TNN however promised its 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 has set a goal to become #3 in pro wrestling within three years. Additionally, they aim to make a minimum amount of 10% of current monies, or about $35 million per season, and have projected costs that are only one-quarter of that amount. This creates a financially viable situation for all.
1.1 Objectives
IWA Championship Wrestling has set the following objectives to be achieved during over first three years of expansion and growth:
- Become the third most popular professional wrestling organization in the industry.
- You can secure a national television contract for a one-hour broadcast each week.
- Start producing the weekly, hour-long pro wrestling program.
- 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 that have television programming.
1.2 Mission
IWA Championship Wrestling will create a family-oriented television show for sale and distribution in the United States and internationally. It will provide live event tours to support the television show. You will also earn additional revenue from:
- Quarterly events pay-per-view
- Sponsorships and advertising revenues.
- Merchandising souvenirs and concession items and a variety of videos available for sale via live events and mail order.
- Inauguration of the IWA Professional Wrestling School
- IWA Talent bookings: Fees for personal appearances
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 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.
No such pro wrestling programming is available at the moment. Fans have only the WWF and WCW programming available and they are carbon copies of each other in format and design. There is a high emphasis on extreme violence, vulgarity, disrespect of authority and women, nudity, and use of alcoholic beverages in the ring and locker room areas … all seen as part of their weekly television programming.
The only alternative to WWF and WCW programming currently is Extreme Championship Wrestling (ECW) which appears on the Nashville Network (TNN) and appeals to the hardcore, extreme fan only.
IWA supporters will be encouraged by their children to follow our programming. We will also create role models that will be strong, positive, family-oriented and supportive in all aspects. The IWA will bring “rasslin’” back to professional wrestling, and put the emphasis on talent, skill, and ability as opposed to warped, demented story lines currently in vogue with the other organizations.
It is smart business to appeal primarily to those who are between the ages of 3 and 93, 40% of whom are female, and the strong 21 to 49-year-old males. Pro wrestling doesn’t have to be reserved for only the extreme or kids. IWA will gain maximum profit potential by tapping into the ‘#8220main stream.
