WWE issued a statement to Wrestleview following the news that Vince McMahon informed talent they are to terminate their deals with outside third parties.
“Much like Disney and Warner Bros., WWE creates, promotes and invests in its intellectual property, i.e. the stage names of performers like The Fiend Bray Wyatt, Roman Reigns, Big E and Braun Strowman. It is the control and exploitation of these characters that allows WWE to drive revenue, which in turn enables the company to compensate performers at the highest levels in the sports entertainment industry. Notwithstanding the contractual language, it is imperative for the success of our company to protect our greatest assets and establish partnerships with third parties on a companywide basis, rather than at the individual level, which as a result will provide more value for all involved.”
According to multiple reports, talent are still unsure what exactly is meant by “outside third parties.” Many operate successful YouTube, Twitch, and Cameo channels, among others. Wrestleview asked WWE to clarify the specific platforms, but that request was answered when the statement was sent.
F4WOnline is reporting that it was Mark Carrano that told talent that the company owns their actual names in addition to their stage names. This may have been said in reaction to Paige changing her account name to Saraya, her actual name. There was a question of the legality behind that statement, but it is believed that WWE can outright prevent talent from marketing themselves in any way on platforms they do not want while under a deal with WWE.
The news of the edict has caused a lot of conversation online. Former Democratic Presidential hopeful Andrew Yang weighed in on Twitter, promising to talk to the new Secretary of Labor (if the Democrats were to win in the fall) about WWE’s business practices.
To read Wrestleview’s reaction to the story, click here or watch the reaction by clicking here.
https://twitter.com/AndrewYang/status/1302071496282648576?s=20