Note to listeners. So contains adult content. Early, one thousand nine hundred and ninety eight in a meeting room inside WWF headquarters in Stamford, Connecticut, USA, network executive, Bonnie Hammer checks, her watch and frowns she's, sitting alone, waiting for Vince Mcmahon to show up he's. Ten minutes late. It's not a great start. The blonde Fashionably dressed hammer is USA's new liaison with the WWF, not by choice, though when they handed her. The wrestling brief her first thought was, her career must be in trouble. Suddenly big man, burst into the room. Looking agitated USA, my broadcast his flagship show Big man resents the cable network, poking its nose into his business. He to get hammer out the door as quickly as possible. Oh

This won't take long, I'm need elsewhere hammer leans forward and looks Mcmane right in the eyes, Vince I'm going to be blunt until Two weeks ago. I never watched your show. I don't. Understand, you were business and honestly, I don't care about it, mcmane raises an eyebrow this meeting just got interesting. Hammer leans in closer what I do know is how to make grey Tv the term Monday night raw from a show with Nielsen ratings in the twos and threes to one its fortune. Five now Mars. Talking make language like the sound of that. Where do we start with the The way I see it wrestling should be a soap opera for men. You need

characters with depth and better stories hire some soap opera in comedy writers. What else plenty in the weeks that followed him schools make man in ways to up WWF Stevie TV game. She tells him to yes, the dated smoke machines that made the WWF ring in a haze. She teach him about running the show's best material. When the risk of viewers switching channels is highest, she can fences him to start recapping, the previous weeks episode to make it easy for new viewers to come on board and with every, Golden Nugget of advice, WWF Stevie output gets leaner and meaner for almost a decade Wwf's been putting out fire after fire. Steroid scandals and financial crises, ratings defeats and wrestler two factions, but in Bonnie Hammer Make

and found a tag. Team partner who can help and put all that behind him. And realize his dream of Lee. WCW Blooded, broken. The law in career you want is within your reach, and versity of Maryland global Campus can help get you there with more Ninety degrees, specializations, an certificates to achieve your career goals, online courses and no sh GRE required. Well, you can gain the skills, initials you need that employers are looking for city of Maryland global Campus, a respected state university was founded, more seven years ago, to bring higher education to working adults answer members in Maryland and around the world offering programs in high demand fields like business side purity, it Homeland Security, health care and a whole lot more university of Maryland. Global campuses programs are designed with employer inputs

to enable students to gain real world skills that they can apply in the work place right away, learn about University of Maryland Global Campus and the programs they offer at Umgc DOT, Edu, Slash, B, That's? U Edu, Slash Bw from wondering David Brown, and this is a business. On the last episode, WCW dominated Monday night's inspiring TED Turner. To give it a second prime time show on Thursdays. Meanwhile, Vince

man became wrestling fans, most hated figure and pulled the curtain. On on W W F's days is p g, entertainment, a final fight loons, but the biggest blows will be landed outside the ring. This is episode six down for the count. It's April 13th, one thousand nine hundred and ninety eight and the your backstage at the core states center in Philadelphia is electric W F, ROZ Broadcasting live from the center and the team, close tonight could be the night. The night W Wcw loses its title belt for eighty three weeks in a row. Wcw Monday Nitro has beaten WWF raw in the ratings, but w CW's lead is shrinking fast. Last week

Nitro, one out by less than one hundred thousand viewers, and tonight Ross serving up a three hour showcase With a new attitude. The It formerly known as Goldust sets the tone the gender bending wrestler arrives in drag pretending to be the female grappler sable entering the ring to fight the braided haired Luna you've got Luna, knocks Goldust down in tears off his dress and wig. Then the meals, sabled storms, into the ring and attacks. Luna Angola, later in the show viewers meet Valve who's sleazy wrestling character is an adult film star. He replied. In his dressing room wearing nothing a towel. As2 women stroke his chest. He winks at the camera and This is that the rocket in his pocket, we'll

female wrestling fans too exciting new heights. Next, there's a turn off between wrestler Owen, Hart and D X, a gang of breaking wrestlers, who are WWF's answer to WCW Nwo the generation x nominate bad Billy Gunn to fight hard while pointing at their crotches. Trusting hearts direction. You got two words for but what audiences really waiting for is the main event. A fight between stone, cold, Steve, Austin and Vince Mcmahon, make man's no longer just the boss he's now a central character in the WWF shows that evil. Tycoon trying to turn Austin into a suit wearing corporate drone. The muscly middle aged man enters the ring in a black vest, sweatpants the crowd,

by chanting. Austins three hundred and sixty even catch phrase Austin, smiles and grabs a mic. Do you want me to wear pants down mass with one arm, giving a hell yeah now look at unanimous in this arena? Oh yeah, but before the fight can start a tie, dyed hippie, wrestler played by Mick Foley intervenes Foley forces the clash We postponed the stage for the Austin Mcmahons feud to keep running for months. To come that night, WCW's. Winning streak ends four point. Five million households watched raws wild antics, that's four hundred thousand more homes than Nitro the afternoon. Wcw Eric Bischoff gathers team, a WCW's head office in Atlanta. WWF got the better of us last night.

It's their only victory in more than eighteen months. We have millions of fans. Business is solid and it can to grow, I am not dropping until I've driven a stake through Vince Mcmahons Heart His team knows w double ratings. When is no fluke man's igniting controversy in making WCW look tame and he's S. Getting started. Two weeks later Uwf sends d generation x to Norfolk Virginia in an army jeep with mounted gun their mission to gatecrash the live broadcast Wcw Nitro shadowed by a camera crew that is filming at all? that night's episode of WWF Raw on arrival they the jeeps gun at the arena, where WCW will perform that evening,

generation x, probably starts the war against WCW fired the first shot. After firing a blank shot they drive towards the arena's underground loading bay, but as they approach venue. Security brings down. The gate again, but the college ended my clothes in the joint WCW we stand by May The competition for Monday night's is too close to call Week, Nitro regains the lead, then raw pulls ahead the following Monday. It creates a pressure cooker battle with both But he's buying to be the must watch wrestling, show raw errors.

Get where D generation X pretends to blow up Turner Broadcasting CNN Center Bischoff hits back by challenging Mcmahon to get in the ring with him. Consider this an open invitation, this trip, man, you show up clamoring it'll, be Maine Can you make man in the room? Mcmane doesn't bite instead, he just keep pushing the limits in one view presentation. Sable removes her to reveal two black latex handprints, covering her breasts on another show, words are introduced to the godfather. A Superfly pimp this followed into the ring by an entourage of women. He calls the HO train The company also runs with a storyline that ends with the japanese wrestler, pretending to castrate Val venis with a sword, but as make

and continues to raise. The stakes with his tasteless antics. Bischoff's about to get gagged. It's July, one thousand nine hundred and ninety eight and Bishop has been summoned to a meeting with Turner Network executives. He walks in conference room inside Turner, broadcasting's, Techwood, campus, downtown Atlanta. He has no idea. Why he's here. Around the long table are teen or more Turner executives. Bischoff does recognize any of them. Thirty woman introduces herself. I Terry tingled senior vice president of standards and practices, Terry Tinggal, here right thanks Bishop. This has got to be a prank, but it's not tingles job. Is to keep Turner Broadcasting's programming on the straight and narrow and these here to rain in WCW and Bischoff from

one WCW is a family friendly show. Metro will no longer be aimed at eighteen to thirty four year old, guys know more scenes with wrestlers insulting each other ahead of matches. No more Michael Winski, jokes, Bishop is dumbfounded. Who these. People would be bossing him around tingled bears down harder. We also need to send me your scripts two weeks in advance, so I can review them before broadcast Bishop snaps out of the shock, not a chance We don't have scripts there outlined with bullet points in production directions. Second, what we're doing works? That's why, will you WF is copying us if we do, What you're suggesting I promise you? Our ratings will fall and every tising sales executive steps in what you need to understand Eric is, Our business is selling airtime to advertisers. They do not want to be linked to controversial, shows, no matter how strong ratings are. Even

W W ratings are cut in half we can sell more airtime time at is family friendly, Bischoff Browns all this! this is bull crap regardless of what you think this is what's happening. Bischoff leaves stunned the battle for wrestling dominance is at a crucial juncture and he's just been kneecap. By his own team, the WCW barred from bad language, sexual references, wild stunts and anything else that be considered unsuitable for nine year olds, the W We have starts creeping ahead in the Monday night ratings with help from it's latest superstar rest Dwayne, the rock Johnson, as the ego Ical henchmen of Mr Mcmahon, the rock is a buying WWF fans with his razor sharp jibes at rival, wrestlers and his gimmick

referring to himself in the third person. My January, Fourth, one thousand nine hundred and ninety nine and Bishop in WCW's production truck at the Georgia dome in Atlanta overseeing the first Monday Nitro episode of the year he's hoping to it will be a game changer, a launchpad for getting Nitro back on top to make that happen. He's lined. A high profile fight between former Nwo allies, Hollywood Hogan and Kevin NASH. That will start a story arc about the return of the Nwo. That Bischoff hopes will reverse sagging interest in WCW. Among wrestling fans, bishops checking to make sure that everything is ready for the big moments when he glances at Subtitled feed of WWF raw playing on a monitor announcer is saying something about his Hogan,

is NASH, find big office face drops as the WWF's announcer reveals that NASH is going to could I hand Hogan the championship belt. Bishop figures Two can play this game grabs a headset and barks orders to the announcer doing the live commentary Tell the audience not to switch channels, tell them foley- will win the WWF title belt from the rock tonight. We that, because their show isn't live moments later. The announcer choose? The retaliatory spoiler? in their, but the plan backfires big time.

Almost immediately six thousand households switch channels. They want see Foleys deranged leather mask character, mankind beat Mcmahons, ash champion, the rock shop just promoted the WWF on his own show, causing a viewer exodus. And securing another ratings victory for Vince make man in the process. And the blows keep coming it's early spring, one thousand nine hundred and ninety nine at an upscale restaurant in Hollywood dean Valentine the ceo of the tv network UPN is sharing a business quandary with a friend over dinner, the Viacom owned UPN is one of America's national broadcast networks, but it's trailing. Are behind the likes of Fox and NBC, so valentine fields. His network needs a new direction. I

thinking of focusing UPN on the young male demographic, but I need to compelling, shows to bring them to us, preferably with a built in audience. Valentine, friendships, his glass of red wine and offers a suggestion. You know My teenage sons are crazy about wrestling totally addicted balance, mine's eyes widen mixed wrestling yeah, that's the ticket. You know I met Vince Mcmahon a few months ago, I'm a call when Valentine invites WWF Tameka to make prime time wrestling show for UPN Make man Mcmahon leaps at the chance to bring wrestling show to network tv on Thursday April 29th, one thousand nine hundred and ninety nine WWF. Open up a new battlefront in the

It's a Gloria, return to that night. Five point six million homes watch the pilot episode of Smackdown within days. UPN and WWF agree to make Smackdown a weekly show in August, one thousand nine hundred and ninety nine, the first weekly episode of smack down airs and it lives up to its name. Four point: two million homes watch the W newest show that week You see Ws Thursday night, offering thunder, managed less than two million households dub. Ucw is now losing the tv ratings were on Mondays and Thursdays and Bischoff's

search to turn things around or about to hit and uh road block here wars. We make shows that we hope entertain you, but we'd love it. If you learn something to Opening myself up to learning more about the world is one of the reasons that I listen to my favorite podcasts and it's So why I love? Reading the economist, the economist is a weekly magazine that inside an opinion on international and US news: politics, business, finance, science, technology, arts and the environment. It helps reader. It's like you and me make a little more sense of what's going on in the world around us, and it's been doing that for over one one hundred and seventy years I started. Reading the economy. Twenty five years ago, when I noticed it had a sense of humor and a breath of subject matter in depth of coverage

the no one else had, and no one else has today. Where else can you find in one place smart thoroughly, researched and compellingly written stories about, say why Russia is ambivalent about climate change? How the late Ric Ocasek took new wave mainstream and a law banning extramarital sex yeah. You may not have her about that last one. Unless you've been reading the economist look, the economist is the smart Guide to the force is changing our world and right now you can get a free copy for your free print copy economists, just text business wars. All one word too nine nine zero zero zero? Again, that's a free print copy of the economist and all you have to do is text business wars. All one word: two: nine: nine, zero, zero, zero support for business. Worse comes from

capital, one with the spark cash card from capital one you earn unlimited two percent cash back on all of your business purchases. Think about it. Unlimited two percent cash back on everything you buy for your business and that cash back can add up to thousands of dollars, which you can reinvest back in your business, so you can keep growing. Imagine what unlimited two percent cash back could do for your business. Learn more capital one dot com. What's in your wallet. In late August, one thousand nine hundred and ninety nine and in WCW's head office, Eric Bischoff, is on the phone selling, a big new idea to Turner Broadcasting, finance chief Vicki Miller and she's his last hope

his plans already been vetoed by every other senior executive company, the key. I want to do a millennium e payperview that combines a WCW show with a concert by kiss. It will be called new year's evil. Miller interrupts. Sorry did you say Yes yeah. You know kiss spaceplane Jean Simmons. I want to rock and roll all night and party every day. I think you would make at least three million dollars. That's enough to insure W C. W turns a profit this year, her sorry Eric, but it's a no go kiss is expensive and you know I don't see them appealing to the young men who watch your show. Also we're all worried about the Y2K bug, causing technical problems during this pay per view and he's just not worth the risk find another way. But why Bishop is scrambling to come up with another plan, Turner's top.

Asked decide it's time for a change WCW's revenues are slipping and losses are growing a few days later, Bischoff is out his history. She of making a wrestling show for young men. WCW into a serious threat to the WWF, but now the you see, WS, visionary leader is gone victim of the new regime. That's taken charge since Time Warner bought out Turner Broadcasting. While WCW is sliding into the red. The WWF is flush. And plans to use its cash to dominate wrestling, and it does in fact Uwf has become so popular. It draws interest of well heeled investors, it's October 19th, one thousand five hundred and ninety nine and inside a Wall Street Investment Bank

Sweet man, his family and a group of bankers are popping champagne corks I've got plenty to celebrate to this morning. The double WF floated on the NASDAQ it stock opened it Seventeen dollars Closing Bell, it had risen to twenty five. The WWF now has one hundred and seventy million dollars in the bank. Finally after years of living. Hand to mouth is a private enterprise The WWF has plenty of financial muscle It's also made the Mcmahon family, the majority owners of a billion dollar corporation. By steering his sports entertainment empire toward the crude rude and lewd, just as turn broadcasting is taming, WCW's output make man at the Jack advertise.

Is like Coca. Cola might have pulled their ad from from WWF in response, but the gains far outweigh the losses w, Us tv ratings ticket sales, paper views, ad revenues and merchandise. Sales are soaring in one thousand nine hundred and ninety eight. It generated profits of eight point: five million dollars a year later, it's on track to make fifty seven million Wwf shift from pg to r rated wrestling is also left, WCW broken and bleeding with Bischoff gone W, C W's decline. Only accelerates view. There are steadily desserting. It shows in paper views average attendance at its live shows drops from six hundred people in October, one thousand nine hundred and ninety nine to just one hundred a year later. It is

the year two thousand, with a reported LOS of sixty two million dollars, in in January, two thousand and one Turner broad. Casting calls a surprise news conference in New York City, a Turner executive bills. The reporters in turn broadcasting has signed a letter of intent. To sell WCW to a consortium led by Eric Bischoff, Yep bishops back since getting pushed out of WCW found, a wealthy ally in investor Brian B, Doll, the founder of Classic Sports network in college sports television. Together there all ring Turner Broadcasting Zoners Time Warner, sixty Seven million dollars for the wrestling promotion as part of the proposed buyout Turner Broadcasting. His promised all that WCW will keep it.

Prime time slots, on TNT and TBS, at least that's the plan until there's a change at the top in MID March, be tall, is called to a meeting with Jamie Kellner, the time Warner, executive, who's just taken charge of Turner's TBS and TNT networks. Beatles in a room. Waiting for Kellner beat all senses trouble the moment. Kellner enters I just reviewed the WCW buyout contract and I'm not happy with it I'm not guaranteeing you WCW's, prime time slots as part of the deal. In fact, cancel the shows. That's a deal anchor for us without a tv platform WCW's job he's still your highest rated show. You know, I don't see why you wouldn't want to keep broadcasting. It t in TBS positioned as upscale networks. You see our advertisers want to reach affluent consumers w.

C audiences downscale, one slash three of its audience are unemployed only. And percent of WCW viewers have a college degree it's out of step with what my networks are doing like I said it's a deal. Breaker. If we don't get the tv shows we're not buying well, then I guess we're done here with Bishop bid to buy WCW in the water mcmahons seizes the opportunity, unlike Bischoff skin source man, man, doesn't care about getting WCW's tv slots he just wants to shut down his competition five days later after Bischoff's takeover bid, collapses. Uwf buys WCW's trademarks and intellectual property from Turner Broadcasting. For four point: three million dollars the weekly

Wcw shows are off the air, Wwf absorbs the cream of WCW's wrestling talent and dumb the rest the WCW brand is kind. The history, the war is over, Ben. Only WWF remains, but there are about to be thrown a curveball. It's August, two thousand and one and in the high in London. The W legal team is celebrating its just one. A court case defending its trademark, but This is the wrestling WWF, that's in high spirits, it's the World Wildlife Fund, the other Wwf is a

well, charity, protecting pandas and other animals. It was founded in one thousand nine hundred and sixty one. Some eighteen years before Mcmahons Wrestling Promotion adopted the WWF brand the two organizations have spent years arguing. Trade trademarks, and now the english court has given its decision. World Wildlife Fund got there. First It's the World Wrestling Federation that must change its name in May two thousand and two mcmane respond. Under the ruling. By renaming his company world wrestling entertainment Wwe For the moment at least It's the only wrestling game in town the regional promotions of old long gone, the w w is a mothballed brand owned by WWE and violent. The c w's just gone bust to, but wrestling

fans miss the rivalry. So in summer. Two thousand and two make man invents a new rivalry by dividing the w es wrestlers into two rival camps raw and smack down to help the story work reveals that he's going to appoint two managers to head up these rival branches of the WWE it's July, two thousand and two, and in EAST Rutherford NJ. Fifteen thousand Monday night raw fans are waiting for uh, big reveal. Mcmahons already cast his daughter Stephanie, as the leader smack down in tonight. He's going to name the manager of WWE Raw Mcmahon Prowls, the state. Which mic in hand You know you don't realize this, but it takes a real son of a pitch to be successful in this business. So from one Sonovabitch too and

the new General his name is Eric. Bischoff, the crowd, jeers and Boos is Eric, Bischoff walks on this stage and hugs Mcmane The two former rivals then turned to the crowd: lock: hands, and raise their arms in the air in try it the very real competition that once existed between them is now just another story arc in mcmahons, lucrative sports entertainment illusion from wondering this is business wars. We sure hope you enjoyed this series and we invite you to subscribe on Apple podcasts, Spotify, Google, podcasts stitcher Iheartradio

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producer is Marshall Louis created by or non Lopez or wondering.