2 Big Reasons the WWE Has Entered a New Era
By Movieguide® Contributor
WWE storyline architect Paul Heyman explained why wrestling has entered into a new era, not only because of Netflix but also because of the reach of social media.
Last summer, Netflix and the WWE inked a 10 year deal cementing wrestling as the first sport to recurrently air live on the streamer. For both parties, this was a major change to their strategy, enabling them to explore many new opportunities. While Netflix continues to say it is not interested in live sports, airing the WWE live every week allows them to fine tune their live streaming capabilities while also dabbling with sports.
Meanwhile, for the WWE, the deal has brought wrestling onto a grand stage providing it the opportunity to reach millions of new viewers and find a foothold with younger audiences. The significance of streaming on Netflix has not gone unseen by Heyman, one of the architects of the WWE storylines. Heyman has been a part of professional wrestling for more than 30 years and now more than ever he sees it having a mainstream audience.
“Before COVID, it was a boutique industry, it was niche, it was a guilty pleasure, and then it became a multibillion-dollar guilty pleasure and a multibillion-dollar boutique industry, and now, with the distribution on Netflix, it’s no longer boutique, now it’s certified Main Street,” Heyman told The Hollywood reporter.
WWE’s first appearance on Netflix on January 6th reached 2.6 million households, while ROYAL RUMBLE in February set an all-time viewership record for the event, rising 16% from its previous high. Heyman expects these numbers to only continue to climb as more and more people get into the sport.
One of the ways professional wrestling is growing the most is through social media and fans who try to predict what will happen next. This makes the job of Heyman even more important as the storylines he enacts cause the most engagement online.
“I openly invite Easter eggs and conspiracy theories in every scene that we do, and we intentionally drop them in there, so that people pick up on it and then develop their own conspiracy theories as to which way the story can go,” Heyman said.
“What’s the difference between a Travis Scott concert and a Frank Sinatra concert? There are certain things that don’t change, right,” he continued, explaining how he believes wrestling is evolving. “You’re still performing in front of screaming fans. You;re still performing in front of a rabid live performance-affirming audience. You’re still performing in front of people who paid to see you do what you do better than anybody else on the face of the planet.”
“In that regard, it’s still the same: however, we now have to offer more. We now have to take those performances from the couch and bring that soap opera to play out,” Heyman added. “Sometimes it’s all physical, so it’s very Shakespeare. And sometimes it’s all words.”
At the same time, the WWE has made some significant changes with its content, making it more appropriate for kids to watch, rather than emphasising violence and gore.
Movieguide® previously reported:
Fans know WWE RAW for its violent and profane content, but as the show transitions to a new spot on Netflix, execs say it will leave the excessive material behind.
“While fans had hoped the new streaming platform would offer more leeway to push the boundaries on storylines and even profanity, WWE president Nick Khan and chief content officer Paul ‘Triple H’ Levesque say that WWE RAW will maintain its ‘TV-PG’ content rating,” TV Line reported.
“There’s some online chatter about how it’s going to be ‘R’ rated or, for us old folks, ‘X’ rated. That’s definitely not happening,” Khan said. “It’s a family friendly, multi-generational, advertiser-friendly programming. It’s going to stay that way.”
“It’s a safe place for families, for kids, for everybody, to be able to view the programming. That will not change,” added Levesque.
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