Big Show, the surly 7ft, 450lb Goliath, is due to step into the ring at the Shanghai Expo Cultural Centre in late August. As he does so, his sponsor, World Wrestling Entertainment, will take a big swing at a market that has brought more muscular media giants to their knees.
WWE will host its first live event in China as part of a campaign to demonstrate its willingness to invest long-term to develop the country’s interest in what it calls “live sports entertainment”. US media companies, which once rushed to expand in China, have retreated in recent years as complaints of a mercurial regulatory environment and the threat of censorship have soured their ambitions. Notably, Google remains on the brink of leaving China.
“We worked under the rules to deliver content to fit needs that adhere to local regulation,” said Andrew Whitaker, executive vice-president of WWE international. China is a crucial new market for the entertainment company. The bulk of its compound annual growth rate of 15-20 per cent over the next three years depends on markets outside the US.
WWE has maintained an office in Shanghai since 2007. Its shows, featuring simple story lines of good versus evil, have played well outside the US. The group branched out to new global markets in 1990, starting with distributing shows and hosting live events in 20 markets. Its largest market outside the US is Britain.
Since its public listing in 1999, the group has pushed aggressively into international markets. It now operates in 145 countries and in 30 languages. Televised WWE shows are available in 88m homes in China. Central and eastern Europe is seen as the next phase of expansion, said Mr Whitaker.
WWE is famous for its outrageous plot lines. In one instance, Linda McMahon, former chief executive of WWE, kicked her husband Vince McMahon in the groin while accusing him of infidelity. Mr McMahon is the current chief executive.
But the company decided to make its offerings more family-friendly in 2008, a year before Mrs McMahon declared her plans to run for senator in the US state of Connecticut. She is now the Republican candidate, having won a competitive primary race in which her career as a wrestling executive came under scrutiny.
The matches are scripted and feature convoluted soap opera-style storylines. This formula plays well across cultures and languages, said Stephanie McMahon, executive vice-president of creative development and operations, and the daughter of the chief executive.
In Japan, the audience booed off the translator, preferring the unvarnished English version of events. “We have no idea what to expect in China,” Ms McMahon said. “We’re looking for a long term presence there. We are committed to the market.” “Very truly, it is America’s greatest export,” she said.