STAMFORD, Conn., May 25, 2006 – World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc., today announced the official launch of ECW (Extreme Championship Wrestling®) as a brand extension to its RAW® and SmackDown® franchises.
After acquiring the ECW assets in 2003, WWE spent the past few years re-introducing ECW to the global WWE audience and increasing the interest in its unique brand of sports entertainment. To date, WWE has successfully released three ECW DVD’s, all of which have become best sellers, and produced a very profitable ECW pay-per-view event in June 2005, with another ECW pay-per-view scheduled for this June 11, 2006. With consumer interest at an all-time high, WWE is introducing ECW as a complementary brand to RAW and SmackDown.
“After keeping the ECW concept alive and creating an enormous cult-like following for all things ECW from DVD’s to PPV’s to books, we feel that now the time is right to officially launch ECW as its own stand-alone franchise,” said Vince McMahon, WWE Chairman. “RAW, SmackDown and ECW now represent a portfolio of WWE brands for fans of all ages and interests to enjoy.”
Similar to WWE’s RAW and SmackDown brands, WWE will produce, market and promote a full line of ECW products from television programs to pay-per-views to live events to licensed consumer goods.
In a related announcement, The SCI FI Channel today announced it would start airing one-hour episodes of a new ECW live television program, debuting June 13 at 10 p.m. ET
World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc. (NYSE: WWE) is an integrated media and entertainment company headquartered in Stamford, Conn., with offices in New York City, Los Angeles, Toronto and London. Additional information on the company can be found at wwe.com and corporate.wwe.com
New York, N.Y., May 25, 2006 – SCI FI Channel today announced that World Wrestling Entertainment®, the producer of the No. 1 weekly basic cable TV series, “Monday Night RAW “on USA Network, will debut a summer series on Tuesday, June 13, at 10 p.m. ET/PT. ECW (Extreme Championship Wrestling®) will be an alternative brand of wrestling suited to fit the SCI FI Channel’s commitment to fuel the imagination.
“Research tells us that there’s a healthy appetite for wrestling among SCI FI viewers,” said Bonnie Hammer, President, USA and SCI FI Channel. “With ECW, we’re able to deliver to those fans unique action with a twist that’s perfect for SCI FI.”
“ECW on SCI FI will push the boundaries of sports entertainment in new and unexpected ways,” said Vince McMahon, Chairman of World Wrestling Entertainment.
For more great exclusive ECW news and rumors, visit ECWWrestlingNews.com
