Rarefied Air: Talking Rocky Mountain Pro's Distribution Strategy With CEO Matthew Yaden
Rocky Mountain Pro is consistently among professional wrestling streams on Twitch, distributes their show over the air in the U.S. and internationally. I had the opportunity to interview Matthew Yaden, the CEO of Rocky Mountain Pro/Mercury Pro Wrestling Academy to learn more about the promotion.
Tell our readers about Rocky Mountain Pro- what makes your promotion unique and why should pro wrestling fans seek you out?
"We are a promotion based out of Golden, Colorado. We operate out of the Jefferson County Fairgrounds, inside the arena that houses our Pro Wrestling school, the Mercury Pro Wrestling Academy. We tape our weekly TV show "Charged" live on Twitch and edit a version for distribution on the Global Wrestling Network, Right Now TV, and Fight Network UK. We are unique in the production of our show on an independent level, the amount of events we run (over 90 events in 2019), and our training program at MPWA. Our students and roster train often, are around each other consistently, and have created an amazing locker room culture of unity and positivity that comes across on screen."
Your promotion has a varied mix of distribution – tell us where one can find the show?
"YouTube, Global Wrestling Network, Twitch, Fight Netowrk UK and Right Now TV."
For total viewer hours, Rocky Mountain was behind only IMPACT and AAA over the last year on Twitch. Why has this been a successful distribution platform for you?
"We were blessed with great support from Twitch, and they gave us a platform to display what we could offer wrestling fans. This entire organization and everyone in it dedicated themselves to consistently providing content not just during the events, but outside of the ring, giving fans a look at our lives and allowing them to get to know us on a deeper level. Multiple broadcasts were put on the front page of Twitch, helping us reach an entirely new audience."
It appears your programming streams regularly on Twitch. What are the advantages and challenges of this strategy when compared to a single destination program.
"The advantages to our talent and production crew is the amount of content they can create. The more you do, the better you get at it, and the more you grow as a talent or producer. They are getting repetitions far and above the amount ever available before. In ring work becomes more solid, characters have more depth as they are consistently working on those skills in front of an audience, and excitement for what we are doing in Pro Wrestling reaches an all time high. The challenges are keeping the amount and quality of content up, as it's a lot of work to keep that much going with this many people. We ask a lot of our talent and staff, which is tough on them to keep up with."
With your promotion running on the Fight Network and the GWN app., what is your relationship like with Anthem, Impacts parent company and does that lead to collaboration with Impact?
"I worked with TNA Impact from 2012 to 2013 in the office as a Talent Relations/Production & Travel Services Manager. Anthem was not involved at that time, so I do not have a direct relationship with them. We communicated a couple years back about putting our program on their app as they were launching it, and that is where that relationship began. We are very happy to be on their platform, and they have been incredible to work with."
What markets does Right Now tv give you exposure in?
"Their channel can be found on ROKU, on their website rightnowtv.net, and on affiliates in AR, TN, UT, CA, NY, VA, ID, MT, and American Samoa's Capital Pago Pago. Full list of affiliates can be found at rightnowtv.net."
In addition to these platforms, you are also on Youtube. Is there a platform you see as being the best opportunity for continued growth?
"We see them all as an incredible opportunity for growth, so I can't pick one that I feel is best. They all provide opportunities to be seen by more people in their own unique ways."
Where should a reader go to follow the promotion and learn more?
"You can find us at rmpwrestling.com. Our social media platforms (Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram) are all @TheRockyMtnPro."
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