WWE Set To Launch New Series on Roku, John Cena To Produce

Roku has announced a new eight-part docuseries called WWE Recruits, which will be executive produced by John Cena. The series will follow potential WWE athletes as they tryout for a spot on the roster. Cena will also appear on the series, which was partially shot last week in Los Angeles during NIL tryouts. Roku sent out the following press release:

Roku Greenlights Docuseries “WWE: Recruits” (wt) Executive Produced by John Cena and A. Smith & Co. Productions
The new Roku Original follows hopeful young wrestlers on their journey to become WWE Superstars

· “WWE: Recruits” (wt) follows a group of young men and women competing to earn one of the most sought-after titles in all of entertainment: WWE Superstar.

· The eight-part docuseries invites viewers to experience the grueling training, personal triumphs, and life-changing moments of talented young men and women making their professional wrestling dreams a reality. Thousands of pro wrestling hopefuls will be narrowed down to an elite group of candidates going for the opportunity of a lifetime.

· The docuseries will be produced by WWE and A.Smith & Co Productions. Arthur Smith, Frank Sinton, Ian Mallahan, Dan Baime, and John Cena will serve as executive producers of “WWE: Recruits” (wt).

· Cena will also appear in the docuseries, along with other legends and current Superstars from the WWE Universe including Paul “TRIPLE H” Levesque, Shawn Michaels, Ettore “Big E” Ewan, Bianca Belaire, Ric Flair, and many more celebrity guests.

· Filming for the project is underway. Shooting locations will include WrestleMania, WWE’s biggest event of the year, which took place on April 1 and 2 at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles.

QUOTES

· John Cena, Executive Producer, “WWE: Recruits” (wt): “Millions around the world watch and dream of it, but only a handful of extraordinary individuals can become a WWE Superstar. I am so excited to bring ‘WWE: Recuits’ to The Roku Channel and look forward to giving viewers an exclusive all-access perspective on how the WWE turns the dreams of talented young people into a reality.”

· Sean Boyle, Head of Adventure and Exploration Programming, Roku Originals: “Roku Original series ‘WWE: Recruits’ not only unpacks how the WWE transforms unknown athletes into world-renowned stars, but also invites audiences into the lives of an unforgettable group of young people chasing their ultimate dream. We could not be more excited to work with the icon himself, John Cena, as our executive producer and our outstanding partners, the WWE and A. Smith & Co Productions, to share the untold story of this high-stakes world.”

· Arthur Smith, CEO & Chairman of A. Smith & Co. Productions: “The journey begins here for the next generation of future WWE hopefuls to win a once-in-a-lifetime contract, giving them a platform to shine like never before. In our first time ever partnering with The Roku Channel and WWE, being the starmakers they are, ‘WWE: Recruits’ (wt) is set to be television at its best with the best.

BACKGROUND

· The Roku Channel is the exclusive home of Roku Originals. From award-winning scripted entertainment and engaging documentaries to new breakout unscripted series, Roku Originals gives viewers free access to bold, fresh entertainment from the biggest names in Hollywood.

· Launched in 2017, The Roku Channel is the home of free and premium entertainment on the Roku platform. In Q4 2022, The Roku Channel reached U.S. households with an estimated 100 million people. The Roku Channel was a top 5 channel on the Roku platform in the U.S. by active account reach and streaming hour engagement in Q4 2022. Today, The Roku Channel features a diverse lineup of more than 80,000 free movies and programs and more than 350 free live linear television channels in the U.S. It licenses and distributes content from more than 250 partners.

· Roku is a registered trademark of Roku, Inc. in the U.S. and in other countries. Trade names, trademarks, and service marks of other companies appearing in this press release are the property of their respective holders.

· A. Smith & Co. Productions creates some of the most innovative, highly rated, and high-quality programming for the domestic and international television marketplace. Founded by Chairman Arthur Smith, an unscripted TV pioneer who was inducted into the Realscreen Awards Hall of Fame and named Broadcasting & Cable’s “Producer of the Year,” the company has produced over 5,000 hours of award-winning programming, more than 200 shows, for more than 50 networks and platforms, with formats sold to well over 120 territories. For two decades, A. Smith & Co. has been a global leader in non-fiction television for productions, including “Hell’s Kitchen” (FOX), “American Ninja Warrior” (NBC), “Floor Is Lava” (Netflix), “Welcome To Plathville” (TLC), the NFL’s “Pro Bowl Games” (ESPN & ABC), “American Ninja Warrior Junior” (Peacock), “The Titan Games” (NBC), “Mental Samurai” (FOX), “American Gangster: Trap Queens” (BET+), “Unsung” (TV One), “Profiled: The Black Man” (discovery+/OWN), “Kitchen Nightmares” (FOX) and more. Smith’s book REACH: Hard Lessons and Learned Truths from a Lifetime in Television is available for pre-order now, and all of the author’s proceeds are donated towards the non-profit REACH Foundation. For more information, please visit https://www.asmithco.com/.