Channel 5 will continue WCW TV in 2001
By Alexi Franklin on June 17, 2000
The following piece is a rumor, it has not been substantiated or confirmed
Channel 5 will continue WCW TV in 2001 (LCI International Newsletter)
Issue 6, 2000
As Time Warner continue their European presence with World Championship Wrestling (WCW), Channel 5 in the UK has confirmed its confidence in WCW’s popularity by announcing its intention to include a second WCW series in its schedules for 2001.
WCW has enjoyed astonishing success in the U.S., with the TV series attracting an unbelievable 32 million weekly viewers. The first series to be shown outside the US was launched in 1999 on terrestrial stations in the UK, Germany, Spain, Italy, Australia, New Zealand and Japan and on TNT cable.
Following a successful live launch of WCW through a tour in March, showings on Fridays at 7.00 p.m. on Channel 5 have attracted an average 800,000 viewers. A further live WCW tour is slated for major centres in November.
World Championship Wrestling has a considerable following globally. The showmanship, flips, leaps and gravity defying athleticism of the wrestling megastars delight viewers of all ages, and the series is backed by interactive games, a WOW magazine and live events in major venues. The popularity of WOW has led to the signing of more than 175 licensees in the U.S., in every category of goods.
Now UK licensees are hurrying to take advantage of the renewed interest in championship wrestling. Toy company Vivid Imaginations have led the way with their distribution of the Toy Biz range. Other companies to sign recent agreements include Topps (sticker collections), Cherub /TDP (Apparel), Electronic Arts (games software), Toy Options (distributor of Trendsetter Watches), Tiger Electronics (electronic toys), Warner Home Videos (videos), Grandreams (publishing), Zap (bedding), Zak (housewares) and GB Posters.
Licensee categories under offer include toiletries and giftware.
‘In 1999 $40 million of WCW merchandise and $250 million of WCW licensed product were sold in the U.S.’ says LCI (UK) Licensing Director Jane Forbes.
‘The same could happen here in Europe. We are very excited about the possibilities.’
