The WWE and ESPN have entered a new partnership that may turn to be very beneficial for each company. So far so good as the leader in sports has had some wonderful segments with WWE superstars such as John Cena and The Miz. The world of professional wrestling likes to consider itself a sport and an endorsement from the worldwide leader in sports can’t hurt. It is kind of ironic that the company who is trying to get away from the wrestling moniker is the one out front here.
ESPN is no stranger to the wrestling world and for about 9 years ran actual shows with the AWA and Global Wrestling Federation between 1985 and 1994. For a while they stayed away from world of scripted sports except for a few commercials during the Attitude Era. Recently the world of Disney has been producing content related to wrestling such as the 30 for 30 short on the Von Erich family and the E:60 specials on the Performance Center and Scott Hall.
The two companies are not that different. Both are leaders in their respective fields and both trying to figure out how to expand their audiences. ESPN especially would like to maybe attract a more diverse viewership and help increase those slipping subscriber numbers. The WWE gets legitimized by its relationship with a sports network which has already led to increased media coverage from other sports outlets. Now with the McMahon’s focused on delivering a PG product, Mickey Mouse won’t have to worry about being in danger of this relationship harming its image.
Written By
Keith B. Holt
Follow on Twitter @Kholtjr
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