WWE wants to put smiles on faces.
While other sports have shut down during the COVID-19 pandemic, WWE has continued to run. They've moved events to the Performance Center in Florida and have taken certain precautions to protect performers.
Speaking on Sports Hiatus conference call discussing Syncing Sponsorship Value with the Return of Live Action, WWE EVP of Global Head of Sales and Partnerships John Brody commented on WWE's decision to keep running live events during the pandemic.
"The health and safety of our superstars is first and foremost paramount. It comes down to leadership in many ways. Our leader [Vince McMahon] believes we have a social responsibility to put fans first and to help them get a break from what was coming and what we're in the midst of. We have a responsibility to take them away for a few hours and give them a smile and a chance to feel something other than what they're watching, which is also important, on the news. We leaned in to say 'we're going to put fans first' and do everything we can, working with state, local, and federal officials to make sure it's safe for our most important resource, the WWE superstars, and we're going to do whatever we can to deliver content for our partners and our fans," he said.
Brody went on to say that WWE ran from a closed set with essential personnel.
He continued, "We understand the decision other sports made, we wouldn't have made the decision we made if we didn't think we could do it safely for our internal (staff) and for all those affected, but we felt America needed it and needed the 'pick me up.'"
He called pulling off WrestleMania was "superhuman" and that WWE communicated with broadcast partners and sponsors, who were all happy they were able to deliver content.
On Wednesday, it was reported multiple WWE staff and talent had tested positive for COVID-19. The exact number is known, but three people have already stepped forward.
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