WHW - Podcast "Pitch" Email (Patreon)

Today, January 30, 2023, marks 6 years since the debut of What Happened When! So what better time to take a look back at the email exchange that started it all...

---------- Forwarded message ---------
From: Tony Schiavone
Date: Fri, Jan 6, 2017 at 8:36 AM
Subject: Re: Podcast
To: Conrad Thompson

Conrad,
This sounds great.  Call my cell sometime and we can chat.
-TS

On Thu, Jan 5, 2017 at 6:06 PM, Conrad Thompson wrote:

Hello Mr. Schiavone!
I co-hosted WOOOOO! Nation with Ric Flair last year when we had you on to talk about the "good old days" and you told the hilarious Black Scorpion story about Ric at the hotel after the show.  Such a fun story!

Anyway I wanted to reach out to present an idea to you.  I started co-hosting another podcast with Bruce Prichard called "Something to Wrestle With Bruce Prichard" this past August.  The format of the show is unlike most other podcasts in that we don't have guests.  We are more of a "debate format" sort of like you see with Pardon the Interruption on ESPN or Crossfire on CNN.  Except rather than a "conservative" and a "liberal" we have a "dirt sheet fan" and someone who was actually there.

We avoid anything new or current choosing to just focus on the "good old days" instead.  We give listeners a hashtag to suggest topics and then we do a poll each week to allow fans the opportunity to vote on what they want to hear. I do a ton of research using the Wrestling Observer, old shoot interviews, books, etc. and then put together a bit of a timeline to discuss the subject in great detail.  Bruce sprinkles in his opinions, shoots down the rumors, shares what REALLY happened, and of course has a funny line here and there.

So it's basically a WWF show with a "super fan" and someone who was there.  I would like to do a WCW show with the same format.  I realize you've probably been pitched the podcast idea 100 times.  But this concept is unique and proven.  We're doing over 250,000 downloads for new episodes and that's over a seven day period.  The older shows are over 400,000-600,000.  Those are at the very top of the spectrum for wrestling podcast downloads.

We sell ads to the show and keep XX% of those proceeds.  We can contract third party companies to sell ads for us and they keep a portion of the proceeds.  We also sell t-shirts through ProWrestlingTees.com and we're doing around XX shirts per day right now.  We would net $XX per shirt based on the $XX price point.  We're also doing a live event in Orlando the night before WrestleMania and we have nearly sold out at $XX/$XX prices.  I say all of this to say there is an appetite for this format and there is nothing else like it.  The WWF side has been hugely successful.  I know in my heart the WCW side could be just as successful if we had the right guy.  I think YOU are the right guy.  I saw you at FanFest in Charlotte this past year and you just absolutely crushed with your humor.  THAT is what makes Bruce's podcast special.  You're a broadcaster, you were there,  you are funny.  This could be great.

I also want to mention that we usually tape this after hours, whenever Bruce and I aren't working our "real jobs."  Your only time commitment is a couple hours each week and I do all of the research for us.  I just send you my timeline notes so you have it as a frame of reference and then we press record on my end.  You could do this from your home using Skype.  I will run some commercials for my business and you keep XX% of the proceeds from the ads, shirts, etc.  My "split" is running a commercial for my business to this big audience we're going to build together.

There is an idea floating around of us perhaps looking at doing a version of a paysite since we've seen the success of Bruce's show.  If we put both his WWF show and your WCW show behind a "pay wall," this could become very profitable for us.  Perhaps we could look for an ECW show, a World Class show, and even an AWA show.

I would love to do this with you but I understand if you don't really have any interest.  I would encourage you to have a listen to the show I do with Bruce before making up your mind. I would be happy for us to just do a "pilot" show together to see how you feel about it if that would make you more comfortable.

Anyway sorry for the long email but I appreciate you taking a look.

Hope to talk soon.

- Conrad