Post by Katherine Lockheart on Jun 30, 2021 23:30:25 GMT
Source: ImperialInsider.com
Every year post IWF’s biggest show of their calendar year, Night of the Immortals, some substantial changes are not only expected but anticipated as the company typically uses the aftermath to reorganise departments and streamline its overall product. This past Night of the Immortals was the most lucrative and financially profitable in company history by all accounts, so perhaps it was inevitable that this year’s re-evaluation would also be the biggest and perhaps most risky.
Shortly before Bloody Assizes, investors were told to expect “the most substantial shift in product delivery ever”, what exactly that meant wouldn’t come to light until after the annual June PPV was already in the books. In the days that followed, IWF stock fluctuations indicated an overall hesitancy as nobody was quite sure what Roberto Verona had in mind when he promised the board a “radical departure away from an antiquated and unrealistic work schedule “ during a conference call last month.
As it would transpire, the far reaching changes he alluded to would affect the live touring schedule and IWF network programming the most. The schedule for upcoming IWF shows has been restructured away from a traditional monthly Pay Per View format, with a few of the yearly staples being axed entirely, in favour of rebranded “Sacrifice Supershows” that are said to be more cost effective to produce and reduce the monthly burden on production crews who work tirelessly to run shows that fan surveys have shown to be regarded as “filler content” produced out of obligation and adherence to an outdated monthly PPV model.
”We very much value the feedback from our fans and the viewing numbers on the IWF Network demonstrate that every year the same “filler Pay Per Views” routinely underperform when compared to our company projections,” IWF Network Manager, Damien Sparks told ImperialInsider.com “So I’m not surprised those shows were axed, it feels like it’s been a long time coming honestly.”
More surprising is that, under the advisement of sponsors and advertising executives, the decision was also taken to move IWF’s two hour weekly flagship broadcast, Sacrifice from its well established Monday Night 9-11 PM EST time slot to 8-10 PM on Friday Nights. It is believed this is a lateral move to attract more advertisers and corporate sponsorship deals which are notorious for preferring weekend sports programming for increased marketing and advertising opportunities to the 18-35 male demographic, the largest demographic for sports like boxing, MMA, football and of course, professional wrestling.
Mixing up a tried and tested scheduling formula after eight years would be too bold a move for most executives, but it appears Roberto Verona is not one to shy away from taking risks, even ones that may not make him popular with investors or rival promoters as he continues to revolutionise and adapt the product in spite of his many critics who would rather he continue to play it safe and stick with what has worked for nearly a decade.
Time will tell if this all was a woefully misjudged step in the wrong direction by an overconfident executive, or a masterful stroke of genius by a shrewd businessman, and we, like the rest of the world will be watching and waiting to see how this all plays out.
The first Sacrifice of the this new era in sports and entertainment is scheduled for July 9th and it appears the company wants to set a new standard and are pulling out all the stops as the short-lived YouTube exclusive “Before The Sacrifice” is no more. The inaugural episode of Friday Night Sacrifice will feature some of the biggest names in company history, including Jessica Reed, Rowan MacDonnough and current reigning five time Women’s World Champion Eternity all scheduled to appear, as well as a headline Heir To The Throne Match performance from Roberto Verona himself.
Dont miss out on what is set to be an explosive night of wrestling from the premier wrestling organisation in the US as they look to set the tone and direction for the rest of the industry to follow once more.
Shortly before Bloody Assizes, investors were told to expect “the most substantial shift in product delivery ever”, what exactly that meant wouldn’t come to light until after the annual June PPV was already in the books. In the days that followed, IWF stock fluctuations indicated an overall hesitancy as nobody was quite sure what Roberto Verona had in mind when he promised the board a “radical departure away from an antiquated and unrealistic work schedule “ during a conference call last month.
As it would transpire, the far reaching changes he alluded to would affect the live touring schedule and IWF network programming the most. The schedule for upcoming IWF shows has been restructured away from a traditional monthly Pay Per View format, with a few of the yearly staples being axed entirely, in favour of rebranded “Sacrifice Supershows” that are said to be more cost effective to produce and reduce the monthly burden on production crews who work tirelessly to run shows that fan surveys have shown to be regarded as “filler content” produced out of obligation and adherence to an outdated monthly PPV model.
”We very much value the feedback from our fans and the viewing numbers on the IWF Network demonstrate that every year the same “filler Pay Per Views” routinely underperform when compared to our company projections,” IWF Network Manager, Damien Sparks told ImperialInsider.com “So I’m not surprised those shows were axed, it feels like it’s been a long time coming honestly.”
More surprising is that, under the advisement of sponsors and advertising executives, the decision was also taken to move IWF’s two hour weekly flagship broadcast, Sacrifice from its well established Monday Night 9-11 PM EST time slot to 8-10 PM on Friday Nights. It is believed this is a lateral move to attract more advertisers and corporate sponsorship deals which are notorious for preferring weekend sports programming for increased marketing and advertising opportunities to the 18-35 male demographic, the largest demographic for sports like boxing, MMA, football and of course, professional wrestling.
Mixing up a tried and tested scheduling formula after eight years would be too bold a move for most executives, but it appears Roberto Verona is not one to shy away from taking risks, even ones that may not make him popular with investors or rival promoters as he continues to revolutionise and adapt the product in spite of his many critics who would rather he continue to play it safe and stick with what has worked for nearly a decade.
Time will tell if this all was a woefully misjudged step in the wrong direction by an overconfident executive, or a masterful stroke of genius by a shrewd businessman, and we, like the rest of the world will be watching and waiting to see how this all plays out.
The first Sacrifice of the this new era in sports and entertainment is scheduled for July 9th and it appears the company wants to set a new standard and are pulling out all the stops as the short-lived YouTube exclusive “Before The Sacrifice” is no more. The inaugural episode of Friday Night Sacrifice will feature some of the biggest names in company history, including Jessica Reed, Rowan MacDonnough and current reigning five time Women’s World Champion Eternity all scheduled to appear, as well as a headline Heir To The Throne Match performance from Roberto Verona himself.
Dont miss out on what is set to be an explosive night of wrestling from the premier wrestling organisation in the US as they look to set the tone and direction for the rest of the industry to follow once more.
Well howdy there pardner.