A Platform of Heroes: How the WWE Bridges Fandom with Philanthropy

Last week, the Global Sports Venture Studio hosted NYVC Sports and WWE for a conversation with WWE’s Chief Brand Officer, Stephanie McMahon and WWE’s Executive Vice President of Talent, Live Events and Creative, Paul “Triple H” Levesque.

Moderated by Charly Caruso, of WWE and ESPN, Stephanie and Paul discussed the intersection between fandom and philanthropy and how the WWE, in the course of over three decades, has had a major impact in pop culture and live entertainment.

All proceeds from the event went to Connor’s Cure, a charity that Stephanie and Paul personally created in 2014 in honor of WWE fan Connor Michalek, who lost his battle to Medulloblastoma, a rare tumor that affects the brain and spinal cord, at age 8. Connor’s Cure raises awareness and funds that support cutting-edge research at pediatric cancer facilities around the world.

Keep reading for three key takeaways from the special fireside chat with the WWE executives.

The Power of WWE’s Authentic Fan Connections

The WWE is an integrated media organization and leader in global entertainment that has been stealing the people’s attention for decades now. Their portfolio consists of businesses that create and deliver original content 52 weeks, in 28 languages, to over 800 million homes. They not only capture audiences in the home, but they also have an incredible ability to captivate live audiences and digitally. The secret to their success? Listening.

The WWE is hyper-responsive to what fans want and they work tirelessly to deliver it.

“One of our big goals was to build the entertainment value in the arena and on television. We covered that. Everything for us is not just how you see it on television, but also in the live arena experiences. It’s really about giving the value back to our fans. We always think, how can we make this bigger? How can we make it more entertaining after we engage our fans more? How can they get more into this and think it’s even better than it is right now? And as the world evolves and entertainment changes, as movies change, as production value changes, we try to stay one step ahead of that.” -Paul “Triple H” Levesque

Adapting their Products to Shifting Audiences

Like in many sports fanbases, WWE was pushed to evolve to appeal to a new demographic: women. What was interesting for the WWE was how this realization came about. It was not a response to data, it was not a response to a political movement, it was a response to their fans.

“It evolved at a Monday Night Raw event in 2015, where we had a three-hour live show and there was only one woman’s match that lasted just three minutes. And our fans had had enough. They started a hashtag called #GiveDivasAChance and it trended for three days worldwide, specifically asking for better storylines, better character development, more athleticism, longer matches for women.

It’s really important for any company to really listen to what your audience is telling you. Well, then at WrestleMania at AT&T Stadium, strategically on our biggest platform in front of over one hundred one thousand people, we announced the rebranding of the Divas Division to the Women’s Division. We unveiled a new championship belt and announced our women would be called superstars, the same as the men. Our women athletes started regularly headlining and main eventing our programming.

In Abu Dhabi, it took us six years but our women were finally allowed to perform. Only their heads and their hands were exposed but during a match, a chant broke out of men and women chanting, this is hope. Our performers talked about seeing tears in the eyes of little girls in the front row. That’s cultural impact.” -Stephanie McMahon

Creating a Culture Beyond the Sport

Once the WWE had created an authentic, engaged fan through their traditional forms of storytelling, they didn’t stop there. They saw that people were starting to look at the WWE as a “platform of real-life heroes” and they chose to bring those superpowers to others less fortunate by committing the company and brand to a lifetime of philanthropy.

The WWE’s philanthropy strategy has four key pillars: inclusion, empowerment, hope, and service. They focus on creating an impact in various sectors by diversifying their approach — working with organizations like the Boys and Girls Club of America, Make a Wish Foundation, UN Foundation, and Ad Council.

“We help people forget what they are going through. There’s no better gift. Our athletes are superheroes. It’s the favorite part of our superstars' job because there is nothing like the hug from a child who really needs it, and the joy on someone’s face even when they are really going through a tough time.” -Stephanie McMahon

As the world of sports continues to transcend the media landscape, it is exciting to see where else brands are able to establish authentic fan connections. The WWE has shown us that a sports organization can not only have a major cultural impact but it can also create communities that are making an impact on worldwide. We are excited to see where the WWE takes us next.

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For more information about the Global Sports Venture Studio, please email globalsportsVS@rga.com or visit www.globalsportsventurestudio.com.