05 Mar Wrestling Entertainment Business Plan

Professional wrestling is now more popular than ever. In the last year, professional wrestling was featured on seven of the Top 10 cable television shows. Jay Leno from Tonight asked Shaquille, a NBA Superstar Shaquille Owens-Neal, what his favorite thing was to watch on TV. 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:

1. National Football League
2. Professional Wrestling
3. Major League Baseball
4. National Basketball Association.

Professional wrestling is family entertainment. The demographics of professional wrestling are ages 3 to 9, 40% female, and heavy in the 21-49-year-old male market. A total of 35 million people also watch professional wrestling every week on television. 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 predicts that the WWF will earn $550 million and WCW $350 million in this year’s earnings. 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.

At this point in time, there is a large gap between the top two pro wrestling organizations and all others. Extreme Championship Wrestling (ECW), which is a small, New York/Philadelphia-based group, comes close to being third. ECW fails to have mass appeal and profit potential because of its extremely 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 &#8220: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

The following goals have been set by IWA Championship Wrestling for the first three years of expansion/growth:

1. Make your organization the third most recognizable in professional wrestling.
2. For a weekly, one-hour program, secure a contract with a national cable TV company.
3. Produce a weekly, one-hour pro-wrestling program.
4. Find the best existing talent and train new writers and managers.
5. Television programming can be syndicated and distributed worldwide.
6. Promote live events tours in areas where television programming can be seen.

1.2 Mission

IWA Championship Wrestling is creating a family-oriented television channel for national and international distribution. The television program will be supported by live events tours. It will generate additional revenues 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.
• Inauguration of the IWA Professional Wrestling School
• Fees for personal appearances on engagements booked by IWA talent

The IWA will be the recognized #3 professional wrestling association and a major player in the sector within 3 years. Our programming will be consistently rated in the 2.0-2.5 range on TV. We will have featured major stars to draw viewers and fans in, while also showcasing outstanding talent from within.

Within five years, the IWA will be in a position to make a serious run at the second most popular position in the industry currently held by WCW and generate approximately $35 million per year in revenue.

The IWA will seek to fill the major gap in professional wrestling. They will offer a variety of &#8220/family friendly professional sports entertainment programming, as well live events. 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.

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. The weekly TV programming includes a lot of violence, vulgarity and disrespect for authority, women, nudity and the use of alcoholic drinks in the ring and locker rooms.

Extreme Championship Wrestling (ECW), which can only be viewed on the Nashville Network is the alternative to WWF/WCW programming.

IWA fans can encourage their kids to follow our programming. Our role models will be strong, positive and family-oriented. 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 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. The IWA will be able to tap into the ‘#8220’ main stream and will generate maximum profits.