Report: WWE Pitching UK-Centric Brand To Networks In The United Kingdom, ITV Included
WWE is still interested in developing a UK-centric brand, and who they have reached out to partner up with is pretty interesting.
PWInsider is reporting that WWE has ramped up pitches as of late to several broadcasters in the UK about developing a brand promoting people exclusively from the United Kingdom. This projected is titled "King of the Ring", which in the past has been used to name a single elimination tournament WWE used to run off and on throughout the years, including being a pay-per-view event from 1993-2002.
One of the networks being pitched this show is ITV, which is interesting for a number of reasons. The network recently tried to revive their own version of the old World of Sport show that did modest ratings when the pilot aired this past New Year's Eve. When ITV decided to go ahead with the project and order a a 10 episode series, Anthem and Jeff Jarrett came on board, set to bring in Impact Wrestling talent.
But of course, things have changed dramatically in the last year. After originally planning to do tapings early in the year, those plans were shelved, with no timetable on when the tapings will actually go forward. Jeff Jarrett is also no longer with Impact Wrestling. WWE was aggressive in signing talent earlier this year, including hosting a two day tournament to crown the first ever WWE United Kingdom championship, but things have slowed down as of late.
It isn't known if ITV is interested in the project, or if another network would be interested in WWE's series. But it seems that, as of right now, WWE still has a vested interest in the UK scene.
