WWE: The McDonald’s of the Professional Wrestling World
By Bryan Heaton
It may seem like an obvious comparison, but WWE and McDonald’s have quite a bit in common. Realizing that may add some context to certain booking decisions.
A popular pastime among professional wrestling fans is ragging on WWE. In fairness, there’s no shortage of material. You have your pick of uneven match quality, stop and start pushes, questionable booking decisions, and tone-deaf social commentary.
And yet in spite of all this, WWE is by far the largest and most valuable wrestling company on the planet. Other international promotions, like New Japan, may have a larger foothold in certain areas of the world. But with stock prices continuing to hit record highs, and new television deals set to bring in literally billions of dollars, WWE is raking in the dough.
So what’s the deal? How is it that so many fans can have such a problem with so much of how a company does business, but that company is still the worldwide leader in the industry? It all boils down to a conscious business approach to maximize audience reach.
To put it more simply, WWE is McDonald’s.
You could make the comparison to any fast food joint, really, because the big point is “product for everyone at all times.” Mickie D’s just happens to be the worldwide leader in the field, same as WWE in wrestling. So how exactly are headlocks and hamburgers comparable?
The idea of making a product for everyone means hedging your bets sometimes. You might want to take a big gamble on a niche product, but that may take resources away from the old standbys. For every marketing push for a McDLT, you’re not advertising your Big Mac. Every big match Daniel Bryan is placed in takes a spot away from John Cena (it’s an example, relax).
At the same time, you have to keep all your offerings desirable to maximize reach. Focus too much on burgers, and people will forget about your McNuggets or Filet-o-Fish. Shove Roman Reigns down everyone’s throats in multiple segments on every Raw, and guys like Bobby Roode and Elias will sometimes get lost in the shuffle.
If WWE then starts to push someone after too much time out of the spotlight, fans sometimes push back against the push. “Why should I buy Bray Wyatt as a threat this time, as opposed to all the other times he’s been wasted?” These superstars get no heat, and then the fans claim he or she has been “ruined” by WWE.
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But maybe it’s just part of a business cycle. Again, McDonald’s didn’t become the biggest fast food chain in the world by putting all their eggs in one basket. The McRib comes around every so often for a limited time (hello, Brock Lesnar), sending dozens of people to get delicious crappy fake rib substitute.
Ads cycle through for McCafe beverages, fries, and new menu items instead of their signature Big Mac. Doesn’t that sound like WWE giving guys like Finn Bálor, Rusev, and rookies like Ronda Rousey airtime over John Cena or Roman Reigns?
Finally, there’s a McDonald’s in pretty much every town in America, and in most countries around the world. You need a quick meal, you stop in and grab a burger, or nuggets, or whatever. It’s accessible without hunting for miles. But if you have the passion and desire, drive a little further and you can find a Shake Shack, or a Five Guys, or a Burger King. Those are your New Japans, or your Ring of Honor, or your Impact Wrestling. Same basic concept, presented in a different way. Some say better, some say worse — but it’s definitely different.
Some fans watch WWE just because it’s the easiest pro wrestling to consume. Does that make them worse fans? Not at all. Does that invalidate criticisms of the product? Of course not. If I go to McDonald’s for a Quarter Pounder with no pickles, and there’s pickles on it, I’m going to be upset. If I go to a WWE show looking for Seth Rollins to compete at a high level only for a bait and switch, I’ll also be upset.
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If you’re going to criticize WWE, that’s okay. I do it every Monday night, and one Sunday a month. It’s allowed, and it’s warranted in some cases. But you have to realize the bigger picture at the same time. There’s a method to the madness, even if you don’t like that method. And arguing the results of a multi-billion dollar company is futile in the long run.