One of the big mysteries of 2014 has been "what in the world is Jeff Jarrett's Global Force Wrestling (GFW) going to be?"
Despite a list of worldwide promotions with which the brand will partner and an English-language repackaging of New Japan Pro Wrestling's premier event Wrestle Kingdom 9 coming in January, that mystery looks like it will linger into 2015.
Jarrett was a guest on Squared Circle Gazette Radio late last week, and addressed some topics that might shed some light on his plans for his new company...without actually giving any details about his plans for the new company.
Despite pro wrestling's biggest players moving away from the pay-per-view (PPV) business - WWE and New Japan for their streaming services, TNA because they could never figure out how to make money with it - Double J doesn't see it as a dying model. But he also doesn't think it's something you can build around. In response to a question about whether it was on the way out, he said:
When you try twelve a year, absolutely. And yes, everything is going online obviously.
But you know, UFC...Floyd Mayweather...if you ask them if pay-per-view is a dying breed they would laugh at you. But you have to have that special event, if you try twelve a year then the returns are not there, especially when there's so much programming out there. In this set of circumstances [with GFW and Wrestle Kingdom 9], you can't watch New Japan on a two or three hour weekly show with the same matchups. You can only see Tanahashi and Okada (and this great card) on Pay-Per-View, and that makes it can't miss.
The Squared Circle crew asked if Global Force would bring big shows from other partners to U.S. and other English-speaking markets, specifically Mexico's AAA and their annual TripleMania event. Jarrett said it was on the table.
We have our contracts in place with the pay-per-view distributors...You mention TripleMania - I'm in discussions with multiple international partners to bring their products to the North American and now the global audience via the Flipps App. So yes, to answer your question, yes, we are in discussions on bringing in other international shows to pay-per-view other than New Japan.
Pushed a little bit on GFW's television plans, the King of the Mountain deflects by saying that TV is only one piece of a successful pro wrestling marketing plan:
We are in multiple, multiple discussions with several networks, but the right deal has to be done. My attorneys tell me that sometimes your best deals are the ones you don't do. A guy like me, that's hard to absorb at times. But AXS has just picked up New Japan for a 13 week run. Lucha Underground has got a run. Brand exposure is the key. To create revenues in this business, and Vince McMahon is a genius with that - his deal is fantastic with NBC Universal, but that's just a piece of his puzzle. He has international deals, touring business, merchandise, licensing, sponsorship, his online Network. Revenue streams are broad and deep, so TV is one component of a wrestling promotion.
What he says makes a lot of sense. We only have to look at how TNA basically disappeared when their TV contract was in limbo due to the lack of any other proven income sources like PPV or ticket sales to see an example of a company focusing too exclusively on TV.
But it's also true that if NJPW, LU and TNA all got "runs" from cable companies, why can't Jarrett get a similar shot?
What do you think about what the Bullet Club member is hustling here, Cagesiders? Sound business plan, or smoke screen for the lack of a product?