Like it or not, celebrities have and always will be part of professional wrestling.
And in the WWE, now under the umbrella company TKO, which also owns UFC, they’re doubling down on the celebrity involvement.
WrestleMania 42 just wrapped up at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, and the extra advertisements, commercials, movie trailers, and celebrity cameos were noted by casual and hardcore fans alike.
While celebrities in the crowd have always gotten shine at the biggest WWE event of the year, it almost felt like a case of deja vu over the weekend, as the camera would find the same famed athletes and actors almost after every major segment or return from ad break.
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This isn’t by coincidence, as TKO’s president, Mark Shapiro, was caught on recording discussing the company’s strategy with celebrity involvement in a recent panel at the University of Alabama.
“Having Hollywood tie-ins, celebs, and stars like Logan Paul, Pat McAfee, Mark Wahlberg showing up and doing their thing, and Tyrese Haliburton getting into it in the ring with Jalen Brunson, that’s not new, it’s just on a larger stage now,” said Shapiro. “We are spending a lot more money to market the brand and the content. And when you do that, you’re going to win some folks over, but you’re also going to lose some folks away.”
Shapiro was open about TKO’s control of creative when it comes to the storylines presented on television, along with the injections of celebrities like Pat McAfee and music star Jelly Roll in an attempt to bring in newer fans.
While that might lose fans, as Shapiro admitted, he defended the overall strategy, comparing it to other sports leagues that have needed to evolve to survive the new media landscape.
So if you’re a WWE fan hoping that WrestleMania 42’s focus on celebrity and movie trailers was an anomaly, sorry to disappoint — this might be the new norm under TKO.
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