WWE Studios Head on How Fans Will Hold them Accountable for Documentary Projects

– Sports Pro Media recently spoke to WWE Studios head Susan Levison, who discussed producing docuseries and documentary projects for WWE, such as Undertaker: The Last Ride and the HBO documentary, Andre the Giant, and how fans will hold them accountable if the project isn’t honest. Below are some highlights.

Levison on the questions she asks regarding WWE Studios production pitches: “We have to think not only is this a great story but also is there a market for this? Is there someone who’s going to pay US$3 million for an eight-part docuseries? How will this not just serve our fans, but how does it transcend then into pop culture and will there be a buyer that wants to show it to the whole world? I think that’s a really important question for sports. How do you create a format or an idea, or use a piece of talent in a way that’s bigger than just the core fans of that particular entity?”

Susan Levison on fans holding them accountable: “Vince [McMahon] always talks about WWE being the first interactive sports company because when two superstars are out in the ring you can hear the fan – you get your feedback instantly on what’s working and what isn’t. That’s the old school metric that we use when we figure out what to work on next. Fans are so savvy right now. They know when you’re doing a puff piece, they know the nuances of what happened in an event or a match, or the history of an athlete. If you don’t work with a producer who holds you to account and forces you to tell the tough, maybe unflattering, parts of the story, fans otherwise will see it as an advertisement and a whitewash and they’ll reject it. So it’s something [where] we’re constantly trying to push ourselves to tell as much of an objective, true story as we can so that fans will appreciate that we’re really willing to go there.”

Her thoughts on short-form content: “I don’t know that anyone cracked it yet. I’m sure somebody will. It’s hard to go really deep in five minute increments and so I think somebody is going to have to come up with what that new format is. The quest continues. I’m always dazzled by people who work in short-form because I think it’s an ultimate highwire act.”