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Tag: WWE

  • WWE Summer Slam on Ten Sports

    The biggest WWE event of the year so far explodes on to TV screens when Ten Sports airs Summer Slam 2006 at 1100 IST on Sunday.

    This years Summer Slam takes place in Boston and the highlight of the evening will be when hometown boy John Cena challenges WWE Champion Edge for his title.

    But before that there will be plenty of other enthralling action which is set to get underway with the continuing bitter feud between Rey Mysterio and Chavo Guerrero.

    As well as the WWE Championship being on the line there will be two other titles up for grabs including the ECW World Title with the champion Big Show facing the daunting challenge of Sabu.

    World Heavyweight Champion King Booker also faces a serious threat to his title when he squares up to the virtually unstoppable Batista.

    And of course there will be the much awaited match up between D-Generation and The McMahons made up of WWE Chairman Vince and his son Shane.

    Other matches on the bill include Randy Orton against Hulk Hogan and Rick Flair and Mickey Foley going head to head in an ‘I Quit” match.

    With such a line up there is bound to be incredible action and controversy and it is all on Ten Sports.

    ABOUT TEN SPORTS: Only launched in April 2002, Taj TV’s Ten Sports is watched by more viewers than any other sports channel in the sub-continent and is available in more than 50 million cable/ satellite households worldwide. Ten Sports is the world’s biggest producers of cricket. The Channel broadcasts cricket from Sharjah, the West Indies, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Morocco throughout the Indian sub-continent and Asia, as well as in Europe and the Middle East. Other cricket properties broadcast by Ten Sports in certain territories include internationals from India, the World Cup 2003 and the ICC Champions Trophy 2004.

    FOR MORE INFORMATION ON TEN SPORTS PROGRAMMES, CONTACT:

    Murtuza Madraswala – Taj Television India Pvt Ltd, 403 Manish Commercial Complex, Dr. A.B. Road, Mumbai, India. Tel no: +91 22 6662 3101; Fax no: +91 22 6662 629; Email: murtuzam@tajtv.com or visit www.tensports.com

  • Total Sports Asia sets up shop in Dubai

    Total Sports Asia sets up shop in Dubai

    MUMBAI: Sports marketing firm Total Sports Asia (TSA) is expanding its presence. It has set up an office in Dubai. The company is looking to organise two to three major events each year the scale of which will be bigger than the events it holds in India.

    Speaking to Indiantelevision.com on the same TSA MD India and Middle East Navneet Sharma says, “I have shifted base to the Middle East. Our office is at Dubai Media City. We will focus on large scale events, sports events and entertainment stuff. We will scale up operation as we go by.”

    Stating that Dubai is a market where if you get one or two projects, the scale could be big, Sharma says, “There will be more million dollar events there compared to India as small things do not work there. In India, we do eight to 10 properties. In Dubai, we will do two to three events each year which will be worth at least a couple of million dollars each.

    “TSA will look at family oriented properties in terms of ticketed items. It is also looking at holding large entertainment exhibitions. Music and mechanics will be part of events. We are looking at events which could be held as part of the Dubai Shopping Festival and also looking to have a World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) tour in the Middle East.

    “On the sports side, TSA is looking at triathlons and other running sports. It is also examining the possibility of taking Indian club football to the Middle East. After all 40 per cent of the population in Dubai is Indian. One possibility is taking Bhaichung Bhutia to Dubai and other Middle East countries for clinics.”

    As far as working with broadcasters is concerned, Sharma notes that TSA already has a strong relationship with Ten Sports which too has its head office in Dubai Media City. “We are looking to cement that relationship. Hopefully we can spread our expertise among the regional broadcaster as well. We are looking to push the International Badminton Federation in the Middle East.”

    Closer home in India, TSA is looking to work with news channels. For instance, during the soccer World Cup, it brokered a deal for Bhutia with CNN IBN. “We are suggesting to news channels on the utility of sports channels and how we can help them create programming that fits in well with the current environment. We had done a Bhutia deal with WorldSpace. They use him in short spurts and ask him soccer related questions. We also did a deal with DNA where his articles appeared.

    “When the Champions trophy happens, every news chanel will do content around it. So we are coming up with ideas that can boost their profile. We are working on tailor made ideas for news channels. We are also in touch with NDTV. It could be archived programming or something that supports live chats.”

    As far as events are concerned, Sharma is confident about the adventure sports arena growing. “Earlier this year, it had organised the Mountain Dew Himalayan Challenge which saw people take part in adventure sports. Next year, the channel is looking to add skiing to the line up and the event will happen in January-February 2007.

    “There were 90 entries. Three people were in each team during the Mountain Dew Challenge. Ten Sports aired the event in five episodes. Over the next two to three years, we are looking to get top level anchors who are knowlegeable about the adventure sports arena. We have also got a lot of corporate interest from companies.

    “A four million dollar event, the channel is planning another adventure reality show for next year. This will have elements of strength and power in it and will be held in three cities. It is also looking to bring in squash in sometime in the future.”

    He adds that Total Sports Asia had helped Adidas with the organisation of the Adidas+ Challenge. “The logistics involved were humongous. We did the event in seven cities back to back.”

    This year, the Hungamathon will done again in association with Hungama TV. TSA is also looking to organise expositions on the retail side of sports and events like Futsal will return again.

    A new area that TSA is looking at is organising concerts where it will organise concerts with major pop stars like Beyonce.

    “As we have an Asian network, we can schedule the artistes tour across Asia. Pop music is a strong area to start with as we are confident of a healthy return and we are in talks with the agents of some major pop stars. The time slot being looked at is between December to February 2007. I don’t think that getting down equipment for rock bands like U2 is a challenge. The challenge is that stars have fees and the profitability can be a risky proposition at times.”

    In terms of new properties for television distribution, he notes that rights for football properties like English Premier League will come up. “We are also looking at licensing opportunities for different platforms like mobile. Our sister concern, Max Entertainment handles all entertainment properties for licensing, mobile and television.”

  • Study on the effect of watching wrestling on TV draws the ire of WWE chairman McMahon

    Study on the effect of watching wrestling on TV draws the ire of WWE chairman McMahon

    MUMBAI: A study in the US on the relationship between watching professional wrestling on television and violent behaviour in adolescentsa has been published in published in the August 2006 issue of Pediatrics magazine.

    It is based on interviews conducted way back in late 1999.
    The study notes that there were significant correlations between the frequency of watching wrestling on television and engaging in date fighting, fighting in general, and weapon carrying for both males and females, although the relationships were stronger among females than among males. The frequency of watching wrestling was highest among students reporting date fighting when either the victim or perpetrator had been drinking alcohol or using illegal drugs.

    When analysed using logistic regression, the strongest relationships were observed between the frequency of watching wrestling and date-fight perpetration among females in cross-sectional and longitudinal analyses. These findings persisted after adjusting for multiple other factors.

    Not one to stay silent WWE chairman Vince McMahon issued a statement saying, “We regret that this seven year old junk science was re-issued. It was junk science then, and is junk science now. It took them seven years to get someone to actually read it and it hasn’t even been subjected to a peer review. There is nothing new in the study, and we think it is recycled garbage put forward by some obscure professor who finally got someone to read his paper and is trying to get his name in the media.” The WWE is contemplating legal action.

    The study in question notes that for males and females, the frequency of watching wrestling was highest among students who fought with their dates when alcohol or other drugs were involved. The association between watching wrestling and date fighting was stronger among females than males. The relationship between watching wrestling on television and being the perpetrator of dating violence was also stronger among females and remained consistent over a 6- to 7-month time period.

    Lending support to McMahon however is Syracuse University director of the Center for the study of popular television Robert Thompson. He finds that the study that claims correlation between viewership of professional wrestling and date-fighting among teenagers problematic.

    He says, “What always worries me about these kinds of studies is that they imply a cause. This study claims nothing more than a correlation. So many people immediately see these studies, and they suggest that wrestling is causing these things, and I don’t think that is a done deal by any stretch of the imagination.”

    Researchers conducted their initial interviews in the fall of 1999, sampling 2,228 male and female high school students. They concluded that there was an association between teenagers who watched wrestling on television and those who had a tendency toward violence, including fighting on dates and carrying weapons.

    “Whether you can make the step that then says people who watch wrestling become more violent…is a lot more difficult to prove, and I don’t think these studies prove it” explains Thompson. “I think it would be very, very difficult to put together a study that could actually control enough variables that you could demonstrate that.”

    In his own personal and admittedly ‘unscientific’ experience, Thompson said that he can recall always having 10 or 12 students in the classes he instructed every year who were really into WWE programming.
    He says, “Invariably the WWE enthusiasts were among my smartest, geekiest students out there’ always the ‘A’ students who always went the extra yard on their papers. I could certainly say that there is a correlation between really good male students and an interest in wrestling. That wouldn’t prove that watching wrestling is going to make you smart, but in my particular experience and analysis, I could demonstrate that” Thompson said.

    A few days ago on CNN US anchors Susan Hendricks and Mike Galanos discussed the study and addressed several emails received in an informal viewer response poll. Viewers did not seem to interpret the association between violent behavior and watching sports-entertainment, as claimed by Wake Forest researchers.

    One viewer wrote in saying that he attended sports-entertainment events with his parents and other family members. In watching the in-ring action and backstage action, he always knew that it was not “behaviour that he was to repeat on his own.”

    Another viewer asked, “Could it be that those who watch wrestling are already pre-disposed to violence in some way?”

    Thompson adds, “These studies are demonstrating a correlation. For example, if the tree in my backyard gets bigger, the hair on my head gets thinner. There’s a direct correlation there, no question about it; one happens, the other happens. But there’s certainly no cause there, or I would’ve chopped down that tree a long time ago.”

  • Ten Sports to air WWE’s Great American Bash

    Ten Sports to air WWE’s Great American Bash

    4th August: WWE’s Great American Bash is set to explode on to TV screens across the country when Ten Sports airs exclusive coverage on Sunday, 6th August 2006 at 6.30 pm.

    The highlight of the evening is sure to be Rey Mysterio’s defence of the World Heavyweight Championship against King Booker. The diminutive Mysterio is the most unlikely of Champions and is bound to face a stiff challenge from the experienced and much larger Booker. But Mysterio has faced up to just as daunting challenges before and prevailed and his agility and speed will undoubtedly force the challenger to dig deep if he is to claim the title.

    The evening gets underway with WWE Tag Team Champions Brian Kendrick and Paul London taking on The Pitbulls. The Champions will have reason to worry as both have been defeated by the Pitbulls in individual match ups in recent weeks and they will have to rely on their superior teamwork to get them through.

    Next up will be United States Champion Finlay who faces the challenge of William Regal and this is followed by Cruiserweight Champion Gregory Helms up against Matt Hardy.

    The fourth match up on the card sees something completely new for WWE with the introduction of The Punjabi Prison Match between Undertaker and The Great Khali.

    The structure these two fighters have to find a way out of is made up of two imposing bamboo prisons and only a perilous exit out and they have to escape whilst fending off their formidable opponent.

    It’s a four way Bra and Panties match next with Ashley, Kristal, Michelle McCool and Jillian battling against each other to the delight of all the male fans.

    After six months away Batista will be looking to unleash his wrath on Mr Kennedy. The animal of the ring will have added frustration built up as he was originally expecting to fight Mark Henry, the man who caused his forced absence all those months ago.

    And then to wrap things up it’s the battle for the Heavyweight World Championship when King Booker hopes to finally get his hand on the coveted belt.

    ABOUT TEN SPORTS: Only launched in April 2002, Taj TV’s Ten Sports is watched by more viewers than any other sports channel in the sub-continent and is available in nearly 50 million cable/ satellite households worldwide. Ten Sports is the world’s biggest producers of cricket. The Channel broadcasts cricket from Sharjah, the West Indies, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Morocco throughout the Indian sub-continent and Asia, as well as in Europe and the Middle East. Other cricket properties broadcast by Ten Sports in certain territories include internationals from India, the World Cup 2003 and the ICC Champions Trophy 2004.

    FOR MORE INFORMATION ON TEN SPORTS PROGRAMMES, CONTACT:

    Murtuza Madraswala – Taj Television India Pvt Ltd, 403 Manish Commercial Complex, Dr. A.B. Road, Mumbai, India. Tel no: +91 22 6662 3101; Fax no: +91 22 6662 629; Email: murtuzam@tajtv.com or visit www.tensports.com

  • WWE inks deal with Canadian broadcaster for ECW property

    WWE inks deal with Canadian broadcaster for ECW property

    MUMBAI: World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) has signed a deal with Canadian broadcaster Global Television Network.

    The deal is for its property Extreme Championship Wrestling (ECW). ECW will premiere on the Global Television Network on 11 August. In India viewers can catch WWE on Ten Sports.

    WWE Canada president Carl DeMarco said, “This is great news for WWE and ECW fans in Canada. We’re very happy that we’re able to deliver ECW to 12.2 million homes in Canada.”

    In addition, Global Television Network has also committed to adding both Raw and SmackDown! to their programming lineup in Quebec.

    In the 1990’s ECW was a hardcore wrestling promotion whose fearlessness and innovation caused a tremor that is still being felt today. It has a take-no-prisoners mindset

  • WWE reports decline in 4Q revenue, operating income

    WWE reports decline in 4Q revenue, operating income

    MUMBAI: World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) has announced financial results for its fourth fiscal quarter ended 30 April 2006. Revenues totaled $114.3 million as compared to $118.3 million in the prior year quarter and operating income was $15.1 million as compared to $22.5 million in the prior year quarter.

    In India, viewers can catch WWE action on Ten Sports.

    WWE reported net income of $10.6 million as compared to $16.1 million in the prior year quarter. WWE CEO Linda McMahon says, “Our fourth quarter operating results capped off a very successful year as we generated $400 million in revenues in fiscal 2006, reflecting strong performances by our home video, licensing and digital media businesses.

    “In the fourth quarter, we continued to make strategic investments in key areas such as our digital business initiative and global marketing campaigns. Our WrestleMania 22 results in the fourth quarter continue to demonstrate the power of both that event and of the overall WWE brand and their respective places in pop culture. Also, we are relaunching the ECWbrand via weekly television performances on the Sci Fi Channel and through a distinct touring group performing in smaller venues. This type of performance gives our fans a different wrestling experience. Raw, SmackDown and ECW now represent a portfolio of WWE brands for fans of all ages and interests to enjoy.”

    Revenues from live and televised entertainment businesses were $92.3 million for the current quarter as compared to $102.2 million in the prior year quarter, a decrease of 10 per cent primarily reflecting the absence of domestic cable ad revenues.

    Pay Per View (PPV) revenues were $35.4 million as compared to $34.6 million in the prior year quarter. There were four PPV events produced in the current quarter as compared to three events in the prior year quarter. International events generated approximately $13 million in the current quarter as compared to $16.0 million in the prior year quarter.

    The current quarter included a highly successful 16 event European tour as well as several events in emerging territories, including the Philippines and Thailand. Although the emerging territories yield lower revenues as compared to other international markets, WWE says that these tours, combined with its TV presence, establish our brand presence which allows it to develop the other businesses such as licensing, PPV and home video sales.

  • New WWE magazine to launch on 11 July

    New WWE magazine to launch on 11 July

    MUMBAI: World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) will launch a new men’s lifestyle magazine on 11 July. The new WWE Magazine will focus on the lifestyles of WWE superstars and divas, their activities outside the ring, and what they like in movies, music, gadgets, fashion and other items of interest to young men in their twenties.

    “This is a complete rebirth of our publishing division. We’ve been planning on giving our audience a look behind the curtain for years and now is the perfect time to do it. The new WWE Magazine is what our fans won’t see on TV,” said World Wrestling Entertainment executive vice president global media Shane McMahon.

    A significant marketing blitz is planned for the magazine’s launch, with WWE using its television, live event and online assets to promote the new venture.

    WWE hired two publishing industry veterans to fold its preexisting magazines RAW and SmackDown into one new title.

    Bob Lee, the new vice president and publisher of WWE’s Magazine Group, is overseeing all distribution, marketing, and advertising sales. Prior to joining WWE, Lee served as publisher of Sync Magazine, where he launched the first men’s tech-tainment magazine. Previously, he was publisher of Gear Magazine and has worked at Discover, Elle and US Weekly.

    Lee says he was attracted to WWE because of the connection between the WWE superstars and WWE fans. “The connection is unmatched in any other property. Our fans are the ultimate consumers of goods which are affiliated with our superstars. The new WWE Magazine is designed to attract a larger segment of the WWE fan base, and to appeal to a wide range of advertisers that target readers of lad titles and other men’s lifestyle magazines. The agencies to which we’ve spoken have been very receptive to the new look and broader appeal of our magazine,” he said.

    Tony Romando, the new vice president and editor-in-chief for WWE’s Magazine Group, has built his career on successful magazine launches, including Jane and FHM and has been involved in the rebranding of magazines like Rolling Stone and Men’s Fitness.

    “I’m looking forward to the launch of WWE magazine as much as anything I’ve done in my career. One of the things that drew me to WWE was the company’s tremendous media presence, and how it uses that presence to create a 360 -degree approach to marketing,” said Romando.

  • Ten Sports launches new, racy WWE brand

    Ten Sports launches new, racy WWE brand

    MUMBAI: Ten Sports will launch its third original World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) show of the week with the start of Extreme Championship Wrestling (ECW).

    The other two shows are Raw and SmackDown!

    ECW will debut on Ten Sports on 29 June at 11:30 pm. The late night wrestling show will settle into a regular Friday night 10:30 pm slot once the Indian cricket tour of the West Indies has ended.

    The new roster of wrestling stars is designed to create a more extreme form of the sport. Ten Sports has decided against showing ECW to a daytime audience. The action will be the raciest by far and will be restricted to a new late night slot. The show replaces Velocity.

    Ten Sports says that ECW has already proved a ratings success in North America where the ECW team of wrestlers has begun taking on the existing teams of Raw and SmackDown!.

  • WWE Armageddon explodes on Ten Sports

    WWE Armageddon explodes on Ten Sports

    MUMBAI: Ten Sports 2006 coverage of WWE will finish with an almighty bang this Sunday when it brings exclusive coverage of WWE Armageddon.

    Headlining the explosive bill will be the tag team match of the year when King’s Court made up of King Booker and Finlay face up to two champions in WWE Champion John Cena and World Heavyweight Champion Baptista.

    There has been no love lost between the two teams with tension brewing for the last couple of months but the big question is whether the veteran pairing of King’s Court will be able to gel as a team in order to hold off what is sure to be a ferocious onslaught from the double World Champions.

    Another highlight will see Kennedy attempt to make it three victories in a row over The Undertaker in a Last Ride match where victory can only be secured by putting your opponent into the back of a hearse and driving out of the arena. Kennedy, one of WWE’s most vocal stars has pulled off two big surprise victories over the veteran Undertaker in recent months but how will he fare in a match that favours the veteran Phenom.

    Kane takes on MVP in an inferno match in another much anticipated contest while Chavo Guererro tries to capture Chris Benoit’s United States title; Cruiserweight Champion Gregory Helms faces Jimmy Wang Yang and WWE Tag Team Champions Brian Kendrick and Paul London face Dave Taylor, William Regal, MNM and the Hardys in a Ladder Match.

  • USA Network to take WWE to the next level with film based initiative

    USA Network to take WWE to the next level with film based initiative

    MUMBAI: American cable network USA Network is looking to build on its relationship with World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE).

    The network is unveiling plans to develop and produce action movies aimed at the WWE audience.

    USA Network president Bonnie Hammer said, “The return of WWE to USA has been a knockout for both parties. We are looking forward to building and expanding on our audience as well as the Raw fan base with high impact, adrenaline-fueled, larger-than-life action just like they’ll find in the ring.”

    One film is called Hunting Rabbets. This features Jack and Bobby Rabbet, hard luck brothers who operate a failing repossession business. When Bobby neglects to pay their axes, a secret
    government agency confronts the Rabbets with an ultimatum: go to prison, or work off the debt.

    Now, as unofficial government employees, Jack and Bobby must use their repossession skills to search America for classified items the government cannot admit it has lost.

    Another film is called Crush. Bodyguards have to be tough, and Able ‘Crush’ Cross was one of the toughest. But the business of protection is a hard one. Forced out for not being a team player, Crush makes a living as bouncer at Los Angeles hot spots. However, Crush is pulled back into the bodyguard business when he is hired by a wealthy CEO who fears for the life of his daughter. This is an original film by Phoef Sutton (Analyze This, Boston Legal).

    In The Last Tough Guy, the protagonist Jack Cooper is one of the best stunt men in Hollywood. Unfortunately, his hard-drinking lifestyle and gruff demeanour have left him with few jobs and fewer friends. When Jack witnesses the death of his former mentor, producer Rudy Solomon, he goes to the police, who prove uncooperative.

    Reconnecting with his former flame (who happens to be Rudy’s estranged daughter), Jack decides to take matters into his own hands. As he tracks down Rudy’s killers and bring them to justice.