WWE Sports Framework
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A framework for building successful sports businesses by focusing on storytelling and character development, inspired by WWE's approach.
Core Strategy: The "Vince McMahon Approach"
- Ask yourself "What would Vince do?" (WWVD) when developing sports businesses
- Focus on storytelling and drama over just the sport itself
- Create compelling narratives around players and events
- Build character-driven storylines that engage audiences emotionally
Why Stories Matter in Sports
- People only care about tennis during Serena's last tournament
- Lance Armstrong's cancer survival story drove cycling interest
- Drama and personal stories create emotional investment
- Raw athletic competition isn't enough - needs narrative context
Key Elements of Sports Storytelling
- Personal struggles and challenges
- Comeback narratives
- Rivalries and conflicts
- Behind-the-scenes drama
- Character development of athletes
- Emotional stakes beyond just winning/losing
Real World Example: WWE Success
- WWE is essentially "ripped guys in underwear having a soap opera"
- Appeals to traditionally masculine audience despite theatrical elements
- Proves that story/character development can transcend pure athletics
- Shows how narrative framework can make anything compelling
Business Application
- Look for opportunities to build narrative elements into sports products
- Focus on character development of key players/personalities
- Create storylines that span multiple events/seasons
- Use drama and conflict to drive engagement
- Build emotional connection through personal stories
- Remember: People connect with stories more than statistics
The key insight is that successful sports businesses need both athletic competition AND compelling narratives to maximize engagement and growth.
Sam Parr
Host of MFM and fitness influencer
Sam Parr is a serial entrepreneur and business media pioneer.
In 2016, he founded The Hustle, a business news media company that started in his kitchen with just $12 and grew to eight figures in revenue.
Sam led the charge in making newsletters popular when few believed in their potential.
After four successful years, he sold The Hustle to HubSpot, a publicly traded company. Now operating as HubSpot Media, The Hustle reaches 3 million readers daily, employs a team of nearly 100, and has been the launchpad for dozens of its staff to found their own media companies and newsletters.
Sam remains the host of the popular business podcast, My First Million, and continues to start and sell companies. He also co-founded Hampton, a highly vetted community for entrepreneurs, founders, and CEOs, and teaches people to write better through his platform, Copy That.