Wie der Wrestling Observer im Newsletter berichtet, ist das klassische Houseshow Konzept wohl Geschichte und man kehrt nach der "Corona Pandemie" nicht mehr dazu zurück. Passend dazu wurde Live-Personal entlassen, das prominenste Beispiel hierbei der Ring Announcer Tony Chimel. Ebenfalls wurde mit Casselman der "Director of Venue Merchandise and Remote Operations" entlassen.
WWE erwirtschaftete schon in den letzten Jahren wenig Gewinn und oft Verlust mit dem reinen Houseshows-Geschäft. Nachstehend die Originalmeldung.
ZitatAlles anzeigenThere is talent in WWE that has been told in recent contract negotiations that the old way of touring is not coming back, even if and when the country bounces back from COVID.
One more step in the company pretty much admitting that is its mindset came this past week when about a dozen employees who work on the live events side, the most well known name being ring announcer Tony Chimel, were released.
The reality is the company is setting record profits without doing house shows, and the house show division had started over the past year plus to often be a money loser.
The economics of the business are completely different than they ever have been. If anything the key value of house shows now isn’t in money making, but in giving wrestlers more experience. It was also thought to be good for making a stronger base of fans, and selling merchandise. What they found out is that with no house shows, all of a sudden WWE shop merch numbers skyrocketed and the total merch sales ended up being almost identical to when there were shows, which shocked everyone. In theory lack of house shows will slow the progress of the younger talent, particularly the athlete types WWE has signed who didn’t have years learning in the ring on independent shows. But that’s more an NXT issue. They need to get the newer talent more ring time before fans. At the WWE level, with very few exceptions, mostly some of the women, all of the wrestlers are good workers and are doing just fine in the ring wrestling fewer matches. The pandemic has turned into a learning experience because the less travel, less matches, less exhaustion and wear-and-tear has led to fewer injuries and will likely lengthen careers at the top level.
A big surprise this past week was the firing of Derek Casselman, who had headed the arena merchandise division. Casselman had been with the company since 1993 and his official title was Director of Venue Merchandise and Remote Operations. But that firing, as well as that of ring announcer Tony Chimel seems to play into the idea that house show touring as we used to know it is not going to come back at the same level.
Wom Rest des Wolfpac keine Spur.