WWE Studios has not only created feature films, but the production company also helps with various documentaries on the WWE Network and more.
Susan Levison became the head of WWE Studios in March 2019 and has had some come up with a variety of ways to make sure fans are always left satisfied with the content. With immediate feedback in the ring, Levison discussed with Sports Pro Media how fans are able to hold them accountable.
“Vince [McMahon] always talks about WWE being the first interactive sports company because when two superstars are out in the ring you can hear the fan – you get your feedback instantly on what's working and what isn't,” she explains. “That's the old school metric that we use when we figure out what to work on next. Fans are so savvy right now. They know when you're doing a puff piece, they know the nuances of what happened in an event or a match, or the history of an athlete. If you don't work with a producer who holds you to account and forces you to tell the tough, maybe unflattering, parts of the story, fans otherwise will see it as an advertisement and a whitewash and they'll reject it. So it's something [where] we're constantly trying to push ourselves to tell as much of an objective, true story as we can so that fans will appreciate that we're really willing to go there.”
She continued by saying, “How will this not just serve our fans, but how does it transcend then into pop culture and will there be a buyer that wants to show it to the whole world? I think that's a really important question for sports. How do you create a format or an idea, or use a piece of talent in a way that's bigger than just the core fans of that particular entity?”
WWE received praise for its docu-series on The Undertaker and announced a new deal with A&E Network for ten weeks of original programming.
You can find more information on the WWE and A&E partnership by clicking here.
