courtesy of wwe (3)
WWE
Chris Kaiser (govt vice chairman, WWE tv)
Ben Houser (senior vice chairman, community documentaries)
Chris Chambers (senior vice chairman, manufacturing and selection content material)
In some respects, WWE’s seamless mix of athletic prowess with scripted storytelling is the purest distillation of the sports-and-entertainment crossover house. However past the in-ring motion, WWE has additionally emerged as an authentic content material powerhouse.
Previous this yr, the wrestling promotion gained its first Sports activities Emmy nomination for its Peacock documentary about Ric Aptitude. That used to be adopted by way of “American Nightmare: Turning into Cody Rhodes,” additionally on Peacock, and the 3rd season of “Biography: WWE Legends” on A&E, which featured episodes about well-known wrestlers like Jake “The Snake” Roberts and Jerry Lawler. In step with Chris Kaiser, who oversees tv manufacturing and operations for WWE, the ones initiatives do extra than simply feed the insatiable urge for food of die-hard wrestling lovers.
“What we in the end need to do right here at WWE is inform compelling tales that our lovers will love, however we additionally need to inform tales that, in the event you’re now not a WWE fan, you’ll additionally love,” Kaiser mentioned. “We need to super-serve our lovers as all the time, as a result of we do have that inbuilt universe, however we additionally need people to find us and are available again.”
Few, if any, operations can declare to be so in depth. Ben Houser, who along side Chris Chambers leads WWE’s documentaries department, mentioned his staff is capturing at each unmarried WWE match. And the ones filmmakers stroll a singular tightrope as they steadiness a need to show behind-the-scenes main points with the want to handle WWE’s trademark mystique.
“We’re ready to peel it again and simply roughly open the door, after which be like, ‘All proper, that’s sufficient,’” mentioned Houser. “You’re getting slightly bit, and we’re sharing a few of our global so that you can provide the admire and working out of what’s taking place right here, however we will’t give all of it away. That’s a part of why you music in.”
Up subsequent are a Hulu truth display starring wrestlers Bianca Belair and Montez Ford, and “Superstars of The following day,” a docuseries that can apply individuals in WWE’s new NIL program. It’s now not but transparent if, or how, WWE’s authentic content material technique might shift following the promotion’s merger with UFC, however there’s undoubtedly that lovers nonetheless received’t have the ability to get sufficient. Houser, who joined WWE 3 years in the past after 20 years at ESPN, mentioned he’s by no means skilled anything else adore it. “I’m blown away on the call for and the will for content material from this corporate,” Houser mentioned. “And it’s a laugh to get up on a daily basis and dive into this stuff.” — Chris Smith
