Update On WWE Network Airing UK Indie Promotions
WWE Chief Financial Officer George Barrios spoke at the Needham Emerging Technology Conference in New York City last month and indicated that the company will be working with UK indie promotions Insane Championship Wrestling and PROGRESS going forward. As we've noted in the past, there are deals in place for both promotions to air on the WWE Network if Vince McMahon gives the OK.
When asked about airing other promotions on the WWE Network, specifically Ring of Honor, Barrios said:
"Yeah, I think there's something there. It's always priority and what once comes first. We recently announced a deal with ICW and Progress, which are wrestling promotions in the UK. So we're thinking about the best way to utilize that content. As you know, we've been fairly active over the years in purchasing wrestling libraries, video libraries, a lot of which now you can see on the network. We think there's a home for that, and it just a matter of priority."
It was reported earlier this year that WWE officials were close to announcing partnerships with ICW and likely other UK indie promotions, which would open the door for North American promotions to sign similar deals. It was noted at the time that Vince had changed his mind several times but the multi-year deals remained on the table. WWE has had minor working relationships with both ICW and PROGRESS over the past year or so. The announcement Barrios is referring to in the comments above could be for the WWE UK tournament or the matches at WrestleMania 33 Axxess that featured ICW and PROGRESS talents but no content partnerships have been announced.
Source: Wrestling Observer Newsletter
Subscribe to The Wrestling Observer by clicking here. Each issue has coverage and analysis of all the major news, plus history pieces. New subscribers can also receive free classic issues.