{"id":251,"date":"2006-09-06T10:29:50","date_gmt":"2006-09-06T15:29:50","guid":{"rendered":""},"modified":"2020-06-02T11:24:17","modified_gmt":"2020-06-02T16:24:17","slug":"world-wrestling-entertainment-achieving-continued-growth-and-market-penetration-through-international-expansion","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/thesportjournal.org\/article\/world-wrestling-entertainment-achieving-continued-growth-and-market-penetration-through-international-expansion\/","title":{"rendered":"World Wrestling Entertainment: Achieving Continued Growth and Market Penetration through International Expansion"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"submitted\">Submitted by: Joshua A. Shuart, Ph.D. &amp; Peter A. Maresco, Ph.D.<\/div>\n<p><strong>Abstract<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) is best known for its<br \/>\npromotion of professional wrestling as sports entertainment. Today, World<br \/>\nWrestling Entertainment is an integrated media and entertainment company<br \/>\nprincipally engaged in the development, production, and marketing of television<br \/>\nprogramming, pay-per-view programming, and live events, and the licensing<br \/>\nand sale of branded consumer products featuring the highly successful<br \/>\nWorld Wrestling entertainment brand. As the WWE brand continues to grow,<br \/>\na strategic decision has been made to place a greater emphasis on the<br \/>\nexpansion the WWE brand globally. This paper will present an overview<br \/>\nof WWE from its beginnings as the WWWF (World Wide Wrestling Federation)<br \/>\nto its recent decision to capitalize on the significant operating leverage<br \/>\nof its business model through increase in its brand in markets throughout<br \/>\nthe world.<\/p>\n<p><!--break--><\/p>\n<p><strong>Background<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Originally named the WWWF (World Wide Wrestling Federation),<br \/>\nthen the WWW (World Wrestling Federation), and currently called the WWE<br \/>\n(World Wrestling Entertainment), professional wrestling has come a long<br \/>\nway from its beginnings in the 1930\u2019s. Today, nearly 50 million<br \/>\nfans admit to watching the Monday night WWE flagship television program,<br \/>\nWWE Raw Is War on the USA television network. This is the number one regularly<br \/>\nscheduled cable TV program among young women. Among men aged 12 to 24,<br \/>\nit topped Monday Night Football. More people attend the WWE\u2019s live<br \/>\nshows than attend an average music concert; the WWE\u2019s Website gets<br \/>\nmore viewers than either the NFL or the NBA sites (Sully, 2005).<\/p>\n<p>Wrestling was an early favorite of network TV, but it faded<br \/>\nwhen the Dumont network folded in 1956 (Assael, 2002).<\/p>\n<p>In an October 5, 2005 interview Kurt Schneider, Executive<br \/>\nVice President of Marketing, provided a macro perspective on the corporation\u2019s<br \/>\ninternational expansion efforts, outlining four reasons why logic would<br \/>\nsuggest that the WWE will be successful in this venture: 1. Unlike major<br \/>\nsports leagues, there are no game \u201crules\u201d to understand. It\u2019s<br \/>\njust a \u201cGood vs. Evil\u201d premise; 2. Fans do not need to understand<br \/>\na \u201clanguage\u201d; 3. Every single country has wrestling (in some<br \/>\nform) as part of their culture; 4. WWE wrestling is seen as a \u201cuniquely<br \/>\nAmerican export\u201d (Schneider, 2005).<\/p>\n<p>The WWE is, in effect, a hybrid of entertainment and sport.<\/p>\n<p>Viewer Profile \u2013 Age Demographics<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>71% male \/ 29% female 73% are 18 or older<\/li>\n<li>37% are between the ages of 12 and 34<\/li>\n<li>23% are between the ages of 18 and 34<\/li>\n<li>50% are 34 or younger<\/li>\n<li>14% are younger than age 12<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Perhaps most importantly, WWE made a conscious decision<br \/>\nto create and develop two distinct brands: Raw and Smackdown! Each brand<br \/>\nis unique and has different story lines and separate talent. This creates<br \/>\nopportunities to capitalize not only on television programming, but also<br \/>\non highly profitable live event tours, doubling the merchandising revenue<br \/>\nstreams. Also, in keeping with its known youthful fan demographic, the<br \/>\ncompany has fostered and encouraged new media ventures and a heavy internet<br \/>\npresence (Rosner and Shropshire, 2004). The division of the WWE talent<br \/>\nroster into two distinctive and separate entities proved to be a stroke<br \/>\nof genius, reviving a company and sport that had previously suffered sagging<br \/>\nratings and significantly lowered attendance numbers from live events.<br \/>\nThis shift \u2013 a change in production strategy \u2013 was a necessary<br \/>\none, and resulted in higher quality for both entities (Lamb, et al, 2005).<\/p>\n<p>Beginning to formalize its expansion process, WWE Corporate<br \/>\nheld true to its business model, a model which was highly successful domestically,<br \/>\nwhich has proven even more successful in internationally. Figure 1 depicts<br \/>\nthe WWE model.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/thesportjournal.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2008\/03\/fig19.jpg\"><img data-attachment-id=\"2672\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/thesportjournal.org\/article\/world-wrestling-entertainment-achieving-continued-growth-and-market-penetration-through-international-expansion\/fig1-7\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/thesportjournal.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2008\/03\/fig19.jpg?fit=550%2C441&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"550,441\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;Erin Bosarge&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;1427464005&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"fig1\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"\" data-medium-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/thesportjournal.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2008\/03\/fig19.jpg?fit=300%2C240&amp;ssl=1\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/thesportjournal.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2008\/03\/fig19.jpg?fit=550%2C441&amp;ssl=1\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-2672\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/thesportjournal.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2008\/03\/fig19.jpg?resize=550%2C441\" alt=\"Figure one\" width=\"550\" height=\"441\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/thesportjournal.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2008\/03\/fig19.jpg?resize=300%2C240&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/thesportjournal.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2008\/03\/fig19.jpg?fit=550%2C441&amp;ssl=1 550w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 550px) 100vw, 550px\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>WWE Expands Internationally<\/p>\n<p>The internationalization of professional wrestling can be<br \/>\ntraced back to Japan at the end of WWII, specifically the 1950\u2019s.<br \/>\nOriginally, no Japanese wrestler ever won a match, being associated with<br \/>\nbeing the loser after WWII. In effect, wrestling became a metaphor for<br \/>\ninternational politics.<\/p>\n<p>The internationalization of wrestling then moved on to the<br \/>\nUnited Kingdom, Germany, and Australia, its primary markets.<\/p>\n<p>As early as 2002, the WWE had already begun to position<br \/>\nitself within the international market. \u201cWWE provides us with a<br \/>\nglobal identity that is distinct and unencumbered, which is critical to<br \/>\nour U.S. and international growth plans\u201d said Linda McMahan, President<br \/>\nof WWE. \u201cAs WWE, we will launch our further expanded U.S. and international<br \/>\ntouring, our international expansion of branded merchandise and licensed<br \/>\nproducts, and further integration into the film, publishing, and music<br \/>\nbusiness\u201d (Wagner, 2004.)<\/p>\n<p>International expansion represents an important component<br \/>\nof the continued growth of WWE. The broad appeal of its content has yielded<br \/>\nhigh international demand for its television programs and its live events.<br \/>\nTo further nurture this growing demand, WWE plans to continue its international<br \/>\ntelevision distribution, currently available in more than 100 countries<br \/>\nin thirteen languages, and increasing its television penetration internationally<br \/>\nhas the potential for increasing the demand for WWE live events, which,<br \/>\nin turn, has the potential to greatly increase the sales of its branded<br \/>\nmerchandise. These brands enable WWE to execute its strategy by freeing<br \/>\nup schedules for talent to perform at more events in more countries.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cFrom an international standpoint, I don\u2019t think<br \/>\nwe\u2019ve done a very good job, quite frankly, of exploiting the international<br \/>\nmarket like we really should. We\u2019re on television in many, many<br \/>\nmarkets and do extremely well television ratings-wise, but that&#8217;s only<br \/>\none aspect of what we do. We do licensing; we do merchandising, and live<br \/>\nevents, and publications, and DVD\u2019s and everything else imaginable.<br \/>\nAnd we haven\u2019t integrated all of that in our international platforms,<br \/>\nand (doing that) is one of our goals\u201d (McMahon, 2004).<\/p>\n<p>Regardless of country and culture, the insemination process<br \/>\nat WWE is shockingly consistent and regimented. WWE Corporate Headquarters<br \/>\nadheres to a simple three-step plan when tapping into new markets: 1.<br \/>\nSell TV programming first; 2. Sell live events tour; 3. Bring merchandise<br \/>\noverseas.<\/p>\n<p>As of 2003, admittedly, the process of expanding internationally<br \/>\nwas not overly formal within the company. There were essentially 3 groups:<br \/>\na) TV Sales (with a goal of disseminating product (ex: Raw, Smackdown),<br \/>\nb. Live Event Touring (many \u201cone off\u201d events), and c. Licensing<br \/>\n(completely dependent on a &amp; b). Shortly thereafter, Jonathon Sulley<br \/>\nwas hired to handle the expansion efforts, with an overall goal of integrating<br \/>\nall existent strategies. The new process helps WWE to build primary markets;<br \/>\nwhile in the primary market, it allows WWE to build a secondary market<br \/>\nand finally tertiary markets (such as Chile, Ecuador, and Panama City<br \/>\n\u2013 all places that WWE has never been). WWE has plans of going to<br \/>\nAustralia in late 2005, New Zealand in early 2006, and the Philippines<br \/>\nsometime in the near future.<\/p>\n<p>Italy is currently the hottest market, surpassing success<br \/>\nseen even over in the United States. According to company research, the<br \/>\nlicensing business is the deepest in Italy, and the WWE phenomenon is<br \/>\nat peak. For Italian fans, pro wrestling is \u201cpolarizing\u201d \u2013<br \/>\nyou either love it, or you hate it. As Sulley (2005) said in an interview,<br \/>\n\u201cthe Italian market is like no other.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Revenues on the international front have more than doubled<br \/>\nin the last three years, and steadily increased every fiscal year since<br \/>\n2002 &#8211; $38.5M (2002), $51.8M (2003), $63.2M (2004), $87.5M (2005). Figure<br \/>\n2 illuminates revenues, both for international expansion, but all in comparision<br \/>\nto domestic revenues, which have steadily declined each year over the<br \/>\nsame period.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Figure 2: Comparison of Revenues (in $ millions<br \/>\n<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><em><img data-attachment-id=\"2673\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/thesportjournal.org\/article\/world-wrestling-entertainment-achieving-continued-growth-and-market-penetration-through-international-expansion\/fig2-5\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/thesportjournal.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2008\/03\/fig23.jpg?fit=520%2C405&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"520,405\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;Erin Bosarge&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;1427464059&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"fig2\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"\" data-medium-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/thesportjournal.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2008\/03\/fig23.jpg?fit=300%2C233&amp;ssl=1\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/thesportjournal.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2008\/03\/fig23.jpg?fit=520%2C405&amp;ssl=1\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-2673\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/thesportjournal.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2008\/03\/fig23.jpg?resize=520%2C405\" alt=\"Figure 2\" width=\"520\" height=\"405\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/thesportjournal.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2008\/03\/fig23.jpg?resize=300%2C233&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/thesportjournal.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2008\/03\/fig23.jpg?fit=520%2C405&amp;ssl=1 520w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 520px) 100vw, 520px\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" \/><\/em><\/p>\n<p><em>Television:<\/em><\/p>\n<p>One strategy for the further expansion of the WWE brand<br \/>\ninternationally is to duplicate its successful domestic business model<br \/>\noverseas (Figure 1) by building on its already established television<br \/>\npresence in over 100 international markets. One way to continue this market<br \/>\npenetration is through the expansion of its live event touring. The following<br \/>\nfigures are representative of its growth in the international marketplace.<\/p>\n<table>\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td>FISCAL YEAR<\/td>\n<td># OF TOURS<\/td>\n<td>NUMBER OF EVENTS<\/td>\n<td>REVENUE<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>FY 2002<\/td>\n<td>3 tours<\/td>\n<td>5 events<\/td>\n<td>$4.3M<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>FY 2003<\/td>\n<td>6 tours<\/td>\n<td>19 events<\/td>\n<td>$13.1M<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>FY 2004<\/td>\n<td>9 tours<\/td>\n<td>32 events<\/td>\n<td>$20.3M<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>FY 2005<\/td>\n<td>9 tours<\/td>\n<td>49 events<\/td>\n<td>$33.0M<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<p>Looking toward FY2006, business is expected to move into<br \/>\nemerging markets such as Latin America, Eastern Europe, and China. This<br \/>\nfits the WWE strategy to broaden its international footprint in the following<br \/>\nmanner:<\/p>\n<p>Conduct 55-60 international events as compared to 49 in\u00a0FY 2005<br \/>\nAttract over 1.6 million attendees worldwide<br \/>\nSell television rights in over 100 international markets<br \/>\nContinue to develop and further pay-per-view distribution internationally<br \/>\nExpand WWE licensing agreements<\/p>\n<p><em>Television Live Events:<\/em><\/p>\n<p>For fiscal 2005, events were held in:<\/p>\n<table>\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td>Berlin, Germany<\/td>\n<td>Frankfort, Germany<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Birmingham, England<\/td>\n<td>London, England<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Manchester, England<\/td>\n<td>Aberdeen, Scotland<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Glasgow, Scotland<\/td>\n<td>Brisbane, Australia<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Melbourne, Australia<\/td>\n<td>Sydney, Australia<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Perth, Australia<\/td>\n<td>Helsinki, Finland<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Dublin, Ireland<\/td>\n<td>Belfast, Ireland<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Seoul, South Korea<\/td>\n<td>Nagoya, Japan<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Tokyo, Japan<\/td>\n<td>Monterrey, Mexico<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Florence, Italy<\/td>\n<td>Milan, Italy<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<p>Additional cities under consideration for future events<br \/>\ninclude:<\/p>\n<p>Rome, Italy<br \/>\nBolzano, Italy<br \/>\nAncona, Italy<br \/>\nLivorno, Italy<br \/>\nMontreal, Quebec Canada<br \/>\nToronto, Ontario Canada<\/p>\n<p><em>The WWE Show Stops in Israel<\/em><\/p>\n<p>As early as October 1994 the WWF, as it was called before<br \/>\nbecoming the WWE, began presenting its live shows in Tel Aviv and Haifa.<br \/>\nThe WWF become one of the biggest fads in Israel. The fad is being fueled<br \/>\nby an expensive but effective promotional campaign which included WWF<br \/>\nphoto albums being distributed to all six Israeli high schools at lunch<br \/>\nhour, free of charge. The WWF was broadcast on Israeli cable television<br \/>\nonce a week, on Friday afternoon when the streets are devoid of teenagers.<br \/>\nWrestling is enormous, but not all wrestling programs are. Only the WWF<br \/>\nis. As an example, in 1995 the WWF returned for shows in Jerusalem and<br \/>\nTel Aviv. The prior November saw ticket agencies scrambling for blocks<br \/>\nof tickets to sell and within weeks half the 16,500 seats had been sold.<br \/>\nhe best seats, selling for $50.00, were sold within days.<\/p>\n<p>1994 saw many of Israel\u2019s major corporations joining<br \/>\nthe WWF bandwagon. The country\u2019s largest confectioner, Osem, sold<br \/>\nWWF snacks, and Israel\u2019s largest sport shoe manufacturer, Gali,<br \/>\nsigned a deal to emboss WWF stars on a line of sport shoes. Israel\u2019s<br \/>\nsecond largest ice-cream manufacturer, Whitman, negotiated for the rights<br \/>\nto put WWF stars on its boxes for the summer season.<\/p>\n<p>The popularity of WWE merchandise can be seen in the Israeli<br \/>\nexample. Distributor of WWE merchandise in Israel, Boaz Dekel has stated<br \/>\nthat, \u201cThis is the fad of all time, way bigger than even the Ninja<br \/>\nTurtles, The Simpsons, or Dinosaurs.\u201d (Chamish, 1994). The items<br \/>\nhe distributes include WWE notebooks, shirts, lunch boxes, and dolls.<br \/>\nMost popular are stickers and cards traded by teenagers. Monthly sales<br \/>\nare reported to be in the area of millions of dollars.<\/p>\n<p><em>WWE Asia<\/em><\/p>\n<p>Wrestling\u2019s reach is not exclusive to Europe. The<br \/>\nHong Kong free-to-air satellite platform, TVB, acquired 119 hours of wrestling<br \/>\nprogramming from the WWE. Indonesian free broadcaster RCTI has bought<br \/>\n98 hours of WWE Smackdown, its weekly program that airs on Friday evenings<br \/>\non USA as well as eight specials to be aired in the next year and a half.<br \/>\nSouth Korea\u2019s SBS has committed to 208 hours of programming including<br \/>\nthe WWE programs Heat, Smackdown! and Raw is War.<\/p>\n<p>From FY 2002 through FY 2005 international revenues increased at a compound<br \/>\nannual growth rate of 23%. The forty-nine international events in FY 2005<br \/>\nattracted audiences in excess of 450,000 attendees.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWWE provides us with a global identity that is distinct<br \/>\nand unencumbered, which is critical to our U.S. and international growth<br \/>\nplans\u201d said Linda McMahan, CEO of WWE. \u201cAs WWE, we launch<br \/>\nour further expanded U.S. and international touring, our international<br \/>\nexpansion of branded merchandise and licensed products, and our further<br \/>\nintegration into the film, publishing, and music businesses\u201d (Wagner,<br \/>\n2002).<\/p>\n<p>The WWE is now in the midst of a major paradigm shift from<br \/>\ncontrolling everything to giving up partial control to enter new markets,<br \/>\nsuch as, in this case, China, where it will partner with local business<br \/>\nventures to establish a foothold and learn the workings of the Chinese<br \/>\nmarket.<\/p>\n<p>In addition to live events, further expansion of WWE pay-per-views<br \/>\nin new and additional territories along with increased marketing and associated<br \/>\nsales of WWE licensed branded merchandise is expected.<\/p>\n<p>Always seemingly ahead of other countries in terms of creation,<br \/>\nadoption, and use of technology, Japan and WWE reached an agreement in<br \/>\n2005 for a \u201csubscription video on demand service\u201d via Plala<br \/>\nNetworks, Inc. of Tokyo. In essence, WWE will offer its content as usual;<br \/>\nhowever, the medium will be broadband internet instead of TV, and the<br \/>\nformat will be a broadcast titled WWE 24\/7. The impact of such a deal<br \/>\nhas yet to be assessed, yet it appears to be an incredibly low-risk venture,<br \/>\ngiven that the Japanese company is actually a subsidiary of one of the<br \/>\nmajor telecommunications companies in Japan. In addition to driving subscription<br \/>\nsales for Plala, it also positions WWE on the technological cutting edge<br \/>\nin an extremely large international market.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWWE is a global franchise, and WWE 24\/7 was conceived<br \/>\nas salable concept that would scale worldwide for partners and fans,\u201d<br \/>\nsaid Tom Barreca, Executive Vice President, WWE Enterprises. \u201cSigning<br \/>\nwith a leader like Plala is a significant breakthrough for WWE 24\/7 internationally,<br \/>\nand we see a great future in contracting with other telephony and telecommunications<br \/>\nproviders around the globe\u201d (WWE 24\/7).<\/p>\n<p><em>Wrestling Hits South America<\/em><\/p>\n<p>In late 2005, WWE struck a television deal with Latin America\u2019s<br \/>\nFOX station \u2013 FX Latin America &#8211; to broadcast bilingual (Spanish<br \/>\nand Portugese) programming for the next two years. The station reaches<br \/>\napproximately half of all television homes in the Pan market. Emiliano<br \/>\nSaccone, VP of Marketing for FX-LA, was pleased that professional wrestling<br \/>\nwill now be a significant driver of viewership for their network. \u201cWe<br \/>\nare thrilled to have World Wrestling Entertainment on FX featuring WWE<br \/>\nVelocity and WWE Experience. FX is committed to offer to its viewers the<br \/>\nbest quality in programming. WWE, having been involved in the sports entertainment<br \/>\nbusiness for more than 20 years, is one of the most popular forms of global<br \/>\nentertainment today on FX screen, and will contribute to establish stronger<br \/>\nbrand loyalty with subscribers, affiliates and advertisers in all Latin<br \/>\nAmerica\u201d (WWE Signs, 2005).<\/p>\n<p><em>International Television<\/em><\/p>\n<p>It is expected that international television will pay an<br \/>\nimportant role in WWE\u2019s expansion into international markets. Presently,<br \/>\n7,500 hours of WWE programming are syndicated each year in the 100 markets<br \/>\nWWE serves. WWE programming is currently distributed throughout Europe<br \/>\nand Asia in the following manner:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Sky Sports \u2013 England, Wales, Northern Ireland, and Scotland<\/li>\n<li>J Sports channel \u2013 Japan<\/li>\n<li>TAJ TV LTD \u2013 India<\/li>\n<li>PREMIERE \u2013 Germany<\/li>\n<li>CJ Media \u2013 Korea<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><em>Pay-Per-View<\/em><\/p>\n<p>Pay-per-view also plays an important role in the internationalization<br \/>\nof WWE events:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Canadian Partners\n<ul>\n<li>Viewers choice<\/li>\n<li>Shaw Communications<\/li>\n<li>Bell Express<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li>International Partners\n<ul>\n<li>BskyB \u2013 England, Wales, Northern Ireland, and Scotland<\/li>\n<li>J SPORTS \u2013 Japan<\/li>\n<li>Premiere \u2013 Germany<\/li>\n<li>CJ Media \u2013 Korea<\/li>\n<li>Sky Italia \u2013<\/li>\n<li>Main event \u2013 Australia<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><em>Branded Merchandise<\/em><\/p>\n<p>Branded merchandise leverages WWE talent with their television<br \/>\nproducts. Within the WWE brand, WWE branded merchandise includes:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Licensing of books, home video, video games, toys and, apparel<\/li>\n<li>Apparel, novelties, and memorabilia sold through events, catalogs,\u00a0and online<\/li>\n<li>Home video of pay-per-view events and feature performer titles sold\u00a0through\u00a0retailers and available on VHS and DVD<\/li>\n<li>Magazines such as WWE and RAW sold at the newsstand and through subscriptions<\/li>\n<li>Digital Media such as WWE\u2019s interactive website: <a href=\"http:\/\/www.wwe.com\">www.wwe.com<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>All of these are available internationally. Watching his<br \/>\nson Shane play with his GI Joes, McMahan decided that wrestlers would<br \/>\nmake great action figures too. In 1984, his wife Linda called Hasbro to<br \/>\nlearn the licensing business.<\/p>\n<p><em>Role of the Internet in International Expansion<\/em><\/p>\n<p>It is a strongly held belief within the WWE that Globalization<br \/>\nholds the key to its continued growth. It is believed that the Internet<br \/>\nlevels the playing field, since anyone can watch from anywhere with a<br \/>\ncomputer. For instance, in Japan WWE events are broadcast as early as<br \/>\nthree weeks after the event has aired in the United States. The Internet,<br \/>\nas a medium, is involving. WWE research has shown that half of the Internet<br \/>\nusers who get WWE information are international.<\/p>\n<p>Expansion Efforts by U.S. Major Professional Sports Leagues<\/p>\n<p><em>NBA<\/em><\/p>\n<p>In terms of an international presence, the NBA has had a<br \/>\nhistory of playing teams from around the world both at home and abroad<br \/>\ndating back to October 23 &#8211; 25, 1987 when in the McDonald\u2019s Open<br \/>\nplayed at the Mecca in Milwaukee; the Milwaukee Bucks played Tracer Milan<br \/>\nand the Soviet National team. This trend of exhibition games continued<br \/>\nthroughout the 80s, 90s, and into modern day when several NBA teams played<br \/>\nin such varied locations as Madrid, Rome, Barcelona, Tokyo, Paris, the<br \/>\nBahamas, Mexico City, Japan, London, Tel Aviv, the Dominican Republic,<br \/>\nand Puerto Rico.<\/p>\n<p>As is the case with the WWE, expansion into international<br \/>\nmarkets began in Europe. Since 1988, NBA teams such as the Boston Celtics,<br \/>\nthe New York Knicks, Miami Heat, the Houston Rockets, and the Seattle<br \/>\nSuper Sonics have played exhibition and regular season games in the following<br \/>\ncountries: Spain (1988, 1990, 1994, 1996, 2003); Italy (1989, 1994, 1999);<br \/>\nFrance (1991, 1994, 1997, 2003); Germany (1993, 1996); England (1993-two<br \/>\ngames-1995); Russia (1988, 2004).<\/p>\n<p>In addition to Europe the NBA also played exhibition games<br \/>\nin the Middle East (Tel Aviv, Israel on October 11, 1999); Latin America,<br \/>\nwhere the NBA has staged twenty-two games preseason games (sixteen in<br \/>\nMexico, five in Puerto Rico, and one in the Dominican Republic); and Asia<br \/>\n(six regular season games in Japan since 1990 and a 2004 game in Beijing,<br \/>\nChina).<\/p>\n<p>The NBA, under David Stern\u2019s leadership, has made<br \/>\na concentrated effort to specifically promote the international players<br \/>\nwho have come into the NBA. Stern is credited as being a marketing mastermind<br \/>\nin the international arena, and the effort of the NBA commissioner has<br \/>\nhelped the NBA to advance its growth in international markets through<br \/>\nfan identification with players from countries throughout the world. It<br \/>\nhas also indirectly altered the face of scouting, drafting, and developing<br \/>\ntalent (Stone, 2002).<\/p>\n<p><em>MLB<\/em><\/p>\n<p>Major League Baseball has two prominent internationally<br \/>\nfocused baseball initiatives. The most recognizable and recent was the<br \/>\nWorld Baseball Classic (WBC) which was held in March 2006. Organized by<br \/>\nMLB, the WBC was a tournament styled after the Soccer World Cup, and involved<br \/>\nsixteen nations from across the world. Players were allowed to play for<br \/>\ntheir \u201chome\u201d countries. Overall, the tournament \u2013 won<br \/>\nby Japan over Cuba in the final &#8211; was considered a success from a media<br \/>\nstandpoint. There are plans to hold future WBCs every four years, starting<br \/>\nin 2009. From this standpoint, MLB is well-positioned to maintain and<br \/>\ngrow their presence in other countries, even though the U.S. team did<br \/>\nnot finish in the top four in this most recent WBC.<\/p>\n<p>Nearly one-fourth of all professional baseball players have<br \/>\nLatin American roots. Consequently, Major League Baseball has exerted<br \/>\ngreat effort in scouting and developing the future talent of their league.<br \/>\nPuerto Rico is a hotbed for baseball, and a location that MLB has already<br \/>\ntapped as host to some of the leagues\u2019 games in the last few years.<br \/>\nAlmost five years ago, in 2001, the first-ever regular season Major League<br \/>\nBaseball (MLB) game on Puerto Rican soil was played between Texas and<br \/>\nToronto. Two years later, in 2003, the (Montreal) Expos played approximately<br \/>\nhalf of all of their \u201chome\u201d games in San Juan, Puerto Rico.<br \/>\nAnd in April 2005, MLB celebrated its annual \u201cOpening Day\u201d<br \/>\nof games by announcing that 25 percent of all players on MLB rosters (204<br \/>\nplayers) had been born in Latin American countries. This is a significant<br \/>\nincrease over the 170 total Latin major leaguers reported by MLB during<br \/>\nthe 2000 season, of which, thirty-four were from somewhere in Puerto Rico<br \/>\n(Sanchez, 2005). These figures are astounding and continue an upward trend<br \/>\nof talent migration (Bale and Maguire, 1994) predicated by advanced scouting<br \/>\ntechniques, greater global communication, and increased talent development<br \/>\nin these countries.<\/p>\n<p>Once an off-season haven for American big leaguers \u2013<br \/>\nwhere a winter baseball league was immensely popular \u2013 Puerto Rico<br \/>\ngained considerable steam in the world of professional baseball. After<br \/>\nserving in 2003 as the part-time home of the Montreal Expos (a franchise<br \/>\nnow known as the Washington Nationals and located in Washington, D.C.),<br \/>\nSan Juan, Puerto Rico should have become a bustling year-round sport attraction.<br \/>\nIn the winter it hosts a very competitive and popular \u201cWinter League\u201d,<br \/>\nwhere developing talent showcases for the ever-growing contingent of scouts<br \/>\nand media. However, that has not been the case. Lou Melendez, Major League<br \/>\nBaseball&#8217;s vice president of international operations, states that MLB<br \/>\nis now considering assisting the Puerto Rican league financially, and<br \/>\nhe admits that an eight year decline in interest and attendance is a concern<br \/>\n(Ortiz, 2006).<\/p>\n<p>MLB is grappling with larger issues surrounding this, as<br \/>\nwell, namely: a) The issue of \u201cstacking\u201d. In other words,<br \/>\nas noted by Gonz\u00e1lez (1996), despite a healthy on-field Latino<br \/>\nrepresentation, there are still virtually no Latino managers, and there<br \/>\nare an incredibly small number of Latinos in MLB\u2019s team management<br \/>\noffices. b) How can Major League Baseball assess and improve on their<br \/>\nexpansion and outreach efforts? Arbena (1992) stated that Governments<br \/>\nhave long tried to use sports to promote national unity and political<br \/>\nstability, but often without success. Klein (1997) studied how baseball<br \/>\ncontributes to nationalism on different levels outside of US borders.<\/p>\n<p><em>NFL<\/em><\/p>\n<p>In 1991, the World League of American Football was formed,<br \/>\nand eventually became \u2018NFL Europe.\u2019 Known essentially as an<br \/>\nNFL-backed and funded developmental league, NFL Europe currently boasts<br \/>\nsix teams (Amsterdam Admirals, Berlin Thunder, Cologne Centurions, Frankfurt<br \/>\nGalaxy, Hamburg Sea Devils, and Rhein Fire). The league has thus far been<br \/>\nunstable and unpredictable at best, due mostly to lack of star power and<br \/>\nmedia coverage. However, other attempts to further expand the NFL\u2019s<br \/>\nbrand internationally have been made, most significantly, plans for U.S.<br \/>\nteams to play on international soil. Proposed sites are Mexico, Canada,<br \/>\nthe United Kingdom, and Germany. This addresses both of the stumbling<br \/>\nblocks encountered by NFL Europe, infusing existing U.S.-based stars (and<br \/>\nteams) with the proper amount of television, internet, and radio coverage.<br \/>\n&#8220;It now gives us a platform to grow the game internationally with<br \/>\na concept of clarity,&#8221; says Mark Waller, head of NFL international<br \/>\ndevelopment (Haniman, 2006).<\/p>\n<p>While none of the major professional sports leagues would<br \/>\nappear to be natural competitors for the unique \u201csport\/entertainment\u201d<br \/>\noffering by WWE, the recent move of Monday Night Football to ESPN surely<br \/>\nwill impact cable-television ratings, something previously dominated by<br \/>\nprofessional wrestling (Jones, 2006).<\/p>\n<p><strong>Assessment<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Most successful businesses conduct extensive market research<br \/>\nto assess the effectiveness of their efforts. This is of paramount importance<br \/>\nwhen attempting world domination as the WWE is currently doing in its<br \/>\nexpansion throughout various countries of the world. WWE depends upon<br \/>\nfour major research streams to keep in tune with its fan-base: 1) Online<br \/>\nresearch surveys. They use a 900 base method with their fans, hoping to<br \/>\npinpoint consumer attitudes. Specifically, \u201cWhat do you think of<br \/>\nthis property?\u201d (attributes), 2) Live events. WWE conducts exit<br \/>\npolling at events, with an average of about 10,000 people per event. Goal<br \/>\nis to assess attitudes regarding items such as ticket prices and merchandise,<br \/>\n3) TV Companies themselves. WWE is able to garner information from networks,<br \/>\nwhich helps to shape their other research efforts. Ex: \u201chow many<br \/>\npeople view their wrestling shows?\u201d 4) Licensees\/consumers. Some<br \/>\ncorporate partners are willing to share some of their information with<br \/>\nWWE.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Conclusion<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>World Wrestling Entertainment is indeed a unique business<br \/>\nentity that has, thus far, been incredibly successfully as it has expanded<br \/>\nits fan-base into international waters. In fact, the data shows that while<br \/>\ndomestic earnings have continued to diminish, they have steadily climbed<br \/>\neach of the last five years internationally. More success is yet to come<br \/>\nas even more countries become partners with the wrestling corporation,<br \/>\nand as new revenue streams continue to develop. Many sport corporations<br \/>\n(NIKE, Adidas, etc.) have expanded into other markets, and have done so<br \/>\nsuccessfully. But Jonathan Sully, WWE\u2019s VP for International Marketing,<br \/>\npointed out that while the company traditionally likes to totally control<br \/>\nits own Intellectual Property, the key to its success is embracing a fundamental<br \/>\nshift towards more corporate partnering.<\/p>\n<p>Manchester United is a recent case that paralleled some<br \/>\nof what WWE experienced when they first plunged into new markets: increased<br \/>\nbootlegging issues and difficulty tracking revenues in foreign countries,<br \/>\nbranded television channels, and tours that bring talent to the consumer<br \/>\n(Grimshaw, 2005). However, as WWE\u2019s domestic marketing head Schneider<br \/>\npointed out, this brand of professional wrestling is still seen as a \u201cuniquely<br \/>\nAmerican export\u201d, a form of entertainment that essentially has no<br \/>\ndirect competition and is so dissimilar from its indirect competition<br \/>\nthat it operate on its own cloud. The WWE simply must stick to its plan,<br \/>\nadhering to its business model, and achieve continued growth by continuing<br \/>\nto bring its brand of entertainment to new markets around the world.<\/p>\n<p><strong>NOTES<\/strong><br \/>\n<sup>1<\/sup>SOURCE: http:\/\/corporate.wwe.com\/documents\/WWEPrimerAugust2005.pdf<\/p>\n<p><strong>References<\/strong><\/p>\n<ol>\n<li>Anonymous. (2002). Wrestling in Asia. Television Business\u00a0International. 5(1).<\/li>\n<li>Albano, L. and Sugar, B. (2000). The Complete Idiot\u2019s\u00a0Guide to Pro Wrestling. Indianapolis, IN, Alpha Books.<\/li>\n<li>Arbena, J. (1999). History of Latin American Sports: The\u00a0End Before the Beginning? Sporting Traditions, 16:1 (November), 23-31.<\/li>\n<li>Arbena, J. (1992). Sport and the Promotion of Nationalism\u00a0in Latin America: A Preliminary Interpretation, Studies in Latin American\u00a0Popular Culture, 11: 143-155.<\/li>\n<li>Assael, S. (2002). Sex, Lies and Headlocks. The Real Story\u00a0of Vince McMahan and the World Wrestling Federation. New York, Crown Publishers.<\/li>\n<li>Bale, J. &amp; Maguire, J., eds. (1994). The Global Sports\u00a0Arena: Athletic Talent Migration in an Interdependent World. London: Frank\u00a0Cass.<\/li>\n<li>Barry, C. (2002, January). WWF Riding Wave of Popularity\u00a0in Israel. Amusement Business. New York: 106 (3); 12.<\/li>\n<li>Blassie, F. (2003). Listen, You Pencil Neck Geeks. New York,\u00a0Simon and Schuster.<\/li>\n<li>Caprio, R. (2005). Are We There Yet?: Tales from the Never-Ending\u00a0Travels of WWE Superstars. New York: Simon and Schuster (Pocket Books).<\/li>\n<li>Flair, R. (2004). To Be the Man. New York, World Wrestling\u00a0Federation.<\/li>\n<li>Gonz\u00e1lez, G. (1996). \u201cThe Stacking of Latinos\u00a0in Major League Baseball: A Forgotten Minority?\u201d Journal of Sport\u00a0&amp; Social Issues, 22 (May), 134-160.<\/li>\n<li>Greenberg, K. (2000). Pro Wrestling: From Carnivals to Cable\u00a0TV. Minneapolis, MN: Lerner.<\/li>\n<li>Grimshaw, C. (2005). Football clubs net global winner. Marketing.\u00a0London: Aug 3, 2005. pg. 15.<\/li>\n<li>Hardiman, E. (2006). The NFL Goes WBC. Retrieved from <a href=\"http:\/\/community.foxsports.com\/blogs\/edhardiman\/2006\/05\/27\/The_NFL_Goes_WBC%20on%20September%2012,%202006\">http:\/\/community.foxsports.com\/blogs\/edhardiman\/2006\/05\/27\/The_NFL_Goes_WBC<\/a>\u00a0on September 12, 2006.<\/li>\n<li>Jones, K. (2006) MNF vs. WWE: The Showdown. Retrieved from\u00a0http:\/\/sports.espn.go.com\/espn\/page2\/story?page=jones\/060911\u00a0on September 11, 2006.<\/li>\n<li>Keithe, S. (2004). Wrestling&#8217;s One Ring Circus: The Death\u00a0of the Word Wrestling Federation. New York: Kensington (Citadel).<\/li>\n<li>Klein, A. (1997). Baseball on the Border: A Tale of Two\u00a0Laredos. Princeton: Princeton Univ. Press.<\/li>\n<li>Lamb, C., McDaniel, C., Hair, J. (2005). Marketing. London:\u00a0Thomson\/South-Western.<\/li>\n<li>Mazer, S. (1998). Professional Wrestling: Sport and Spectacle.\u00a0University Press of Mississippi.<\/li>\n<li>McLean, B. (2002, October). Inside the World\u2019s Weirdest\u00a0Family Business. Fortune, New York, 17, 44.<\/li>\n<li>Mogel, L. (2004). This Business of Broadcasting. New York:\u00a0Billboard Books.<\/li>\n<li>Ortiz, J. (2006). Puerto Rican baseball seeks return to\u00a0glory. Retrieved from <a href=\"http:\/\/www.usatoday.com\/sports\/baseball\/2006-01-24-puerto-rico-winter-league-slump_x.htm\">http:\/\/www.usatoday.com\/sports\/baseball\/2006-01-24-puerto-rico-winter-league-slump_x.htm<\/a>\u00a0on January 24, 2006.<\/li>\n<li>Rosner, S. &amp; Shropshire, K. (2004). The Business of\u00a0Sports. Sudbury, MA: Jones and Bartlett Publishers.<\/li>\n<li>Sanchez, (2005). \u201cLatino Legends team announced.\u201d\u00a0Retrieved from http:\/\/mlb.mlb.com\/NASApp\/mlb\/news\/article.jsp?ymd=20051026&amp;content_id=1260107&amp;vkey=ps2005news&amp;fext=.jsp\u00a0on November 1, 2005.<\/li>\n<li>Shaun, A. (2005, October). Oof! Pro Wrestling\u2019s Primal\u00a0Scream. New York Times, New York, 17, 44.<\/li>\n<li>Schneider, K. (2005, October). Personal Interviews. Stamford,\u00a0CT. World Wrestling Entertainment Headquarters.<\/li>\n<li>Schwarz, A. (2006). Baseball World Cup Set for \u201906.\u00a0Retrieved from <a href=\"http:\/\/sports.espn.go.com\/mlb\/news\/story?id=2057633\">http:\/\/sports.espn.go.com\/mlb\/news\/story?id=2057633<\/a>\u00a0on May 10, 2005.<\/li>\n<li>Stone, D. (2002). Stern Sets His Sights Overseas. The Biz.\u00a0Century Publishing.<\/li>\n<li>Sully, J. (2005, October). Personal Interviews. Stamford,\u00a0CT. World Wrestling Entertainment Headquarters.<\/li>\n<li>Venn, D. (2006). Baseball Has Come A Long Way. Retrieved\u00a0from <a href=\"http:\/\/sports.espn.go.com\/mlb\/latinosrise\/columns\/story?id=2341336\">http:\/\/sports.espn.go.com\/mlb\/latinosrise\/columns\/story?id=2341336<\/a>\u00a0on February 28, 2006.<\/li>\n<li>Wagner, H. (2002). WWE Will Rock You. Video Store Magazine\u00a021 (20); 34.<\/li>\n<li>\u201cWWE Signs Two-Year Deal With FX Latin America\u201d\u00a0(2005). Retrieved from http:\/\/corporate.wwe.com\/news\/2005\/2005_10_18.jsp\u00a0on November 18, 2005.<\/li>\n<li>\u201cWWE 24\/7 Signs Contract with Plala Networks for Distribution\u00a0in Japan\u201d (2005). Retrieved from \u00a0ttp:\/\/corporate.wwe.com\/news\/2005\/2005_10_17.jsp\u00a0on November 15, 2005.<\/li>\n<li>6<a href=\"http:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/NFL_Europe\">http:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/NFL_Europe<\/a><\/li>\n<li>http:\/\/www.nfleurope.com\/<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<div class=\"submitted\">Submitted by: Joshua A. Shuart, Ph.D. &amp; Peter A. Maresco, Ph.D.<\/div>\n<p>Abstract <\/p>\n<p>World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) is best known for its<br \/>\n        promotion of professional wrestling as sports entertainment. Today, World<br \/>\n        Wrestling Entertainment is an integrated media and entertainment company<br \/>\n        principally engaged in the development, production, and marketing of television<br \/>\n        programming, pay-per-view programming, and live events, and the licensing<br \/>\n        and sale of branded consumer products featuring the highly successful<br \/>\n        World Wrestling entertainment brand. As the WWE brand continues to grow,<br \/>\n        a strategic decision has been made to place a greater emphasis on the<br \/>\n        expansion the WWE brand globally. This paper will present an overview<br \/>\n        of WWE from its beginnings as the WWWF (World Wide Wrestling Federation)<br \/>\n        to its recent decision to capitalize on the significant operating leverage<br \/>\n        of its business model through increase in its brand in markets throughout<br \/>\n        the world.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_is_tweetstorm":false,"jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_options":[]},"categories":[290,291],"tags":[25,8,70,75],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p4btio-43","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":1579,"url":"https:\/\/thesportjournal.org\/article\/an-empirical-analysis-of-the-effectiveness-of-world-wrestling-entertainment-marketing-strategies\/","url_meta":{"origin":251,"position":0},"title":"An Empirical Analysis of the Effectiveness of World Wrestling Entertainment Marketing Strategies","date":"February 6, 2014","format":false,"excerpt":"Submitted by Sungick Min, WonYul Bae, David Pifer and Colin Pillay Abstract World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc. (WWE), which is headquartered in Stamford, Connecticut, produces one of the most popular sporting events in the world, spans a diverse audience, and has a fanatical base and following for its entertainment value. This\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Contemporary Sports Issues&quot;","img":{"alt_text":"Screen Shot 2014-02-05 at 4.52.10 PM","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/thesportjournal.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/02\/Screen-Shot-2014-02-05-at-4.52.10-PM.png?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":152,"url":"https:\/\/thesportjournal.org\/article\/how-viewing-professional-wrestling-may-affect-children\/","url_meta":{"origin":251,"position":1},"title":"How Viewing Professional Wrestling May Affect Children","date":"February 22, 2008","format":false,"excerpt":"Submitted by: Matthew J. Bernthal Abstract This study investigates the effects of professional wrestling on children. Elementary and middle school teachers (n = 370) were surveyed and asked to indicate 1) the popularity of professional wrestling among their students; 2) any \u201cpreconceived notions\u201d they hold of students who are fans\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Contemporary Sports Issues&quot;","img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":322,"url":"https:\/\/thesportjournal.org\/article\/the-professional-bull-riders-tour\/","url_meta":{"origin":251,"position":2},"title":"The Professional Bull Riders Tour: Growth and Development of a Niche Sport","date":"October 7, 2008","format":false,"excerpt":"Submitted by: Peter A. Maresco and Joshua A. Shuart - Sacred Heart University Abstract The Professional Bull Riders Tour (PBR) presents an opportunity to study a niche sport in transition. After its days as simply a part of the rodeo, the tour has seen tremendous growth as a separate, independent\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Contemporary Sports Issues&quot;","img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":7817,"url":"https:\/\/thesportjournal.org\/article\/increased-identification-of-concussions-in-high-school-wrestlers-after-rule-change\/","url_meta":{"origin":251,"position":3},"title":"Increased Identification of Concussions in High School Wrestlers after Rule Change","date":"March 5, 2021","format":false,"excerpt":"Authors: Luis Gude, MD, Gillian Hotz, PHD Corresponding Author:Gillian Hotz Ph.DLois Pope LIFE Center \u2013 1-40, (R-48)1095 NW 14th TerraceMiami, Florida 33136.ghotz@med.miami.edu305-243-4004 Gillian A. Hotz, PhD is a research professor at the University Of Miami Miller School Of Medicine and a nationally recognized behavioral neuroscientist and expert in pediatric and\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Sports Medicine&quot;","img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":153,"url":"https:\/\/thesportjournal.org\/article\/sport-in-turkey-in-the-pre-islamic-period\/","url_meta":{"origin":251,"position":4},"title":"Sport in Turkey in the Pre-Islamic Period","date":"February 22, 2008","format":false,"excerpt":"Submitted by: Ergun Yurdadon, Ph.D., Chair of Recreation Management, USSA This is an historical, descriptive analysis of sport in Turkiye from the earliest available records to the present day. In order to present a complete picture, the development of sport in Turkiye was divided into three periods: the pre-Islamic, Islamic\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Sports History&quot;","img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":7215,"url":"https:\/\/thesportjournal.org\/article\/assessment-of-disinfection-techniques-for-decontaminating-athletic-mats\/","url_meta":{"origin":251,"position":5},"title":"Assessment of Disinfection Techniques for Decontaminating Athletic Mats","date":"August 7, 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"Authors: Max Greisbergmaxgreisberg@gmail.com Justin Greisberg, MDProfessor of Orthopaedic Surgery, Columbia UniversityChief of Foot & Ankle OrthopaedicsChief of Orthopaedic Trauma622 W 168th StPH 11th floorNew York, NY 10032(212) 305-5604Fax (212) 305-4024Jkg2101@cumc.columbia.edu The authors have no conflicts of interest to disclose. No funding was received for this research. Assessment of Disinfection Techniques\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Research&quot;","img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/thesportjournal.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/251"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/thesportjournal.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/thesportjournal.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thesportjournal.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thesportjournal.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=251"}],"version-history":[{"count":13,"href":"https:\/\/thesportjournal.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/251\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":7229,"href":"https:\/\/thesportjournal.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/251\/revisions\/7229"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/thesportjournal.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=251"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thesportjournal.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=251"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thesportjournal.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=251"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}