The following press release was issued by WWE today.
Kmart® Becomes Official Sponsor Of WWE®
WWE® (NYSE:WWE) and Kmart® announced today that Kmart will be the exclusive presenting sponsor of all WWE’s U.S. live events throughout 2011. The partnership encompasses promotional rights to WWE’s pop-culture extravaganza WrestleMania®, exposure at all WWE pay-per-view events and the more than 250 WWE live shows held in the U.S. throughout the year. WrestleMania XXVII will be held on Sunday, April 3 at the Georgia Dome in Atlanta and is expected to draw approximately 70,000 fans from all 50 states and around the world.
As the exclusive presenting sponsor of WWE’s “Live Tour,” Kmart will be incorporated into all promotional elements of the live events including marketing materials, tickets and digital platforms. The partnership will also include in-program exposure, as well as :30 commercial units during WWE’s “Monday Night Raw®” on USA Network and “Friday Night SmackDown®” on Syfy. WWE will support the partnership by creating a microsite on WWE.com which will host several sweepstakes and exclusive offers; featuring ads in WWE Magazine and WWE event programs ; and providing in-store appearances by WWE Superstars and Divas.
“Kmart is excited to expand its relationship with WWE,” stated Mark Snyder, chief marketing officer, Kmart. “This partnership will allow our customers to engage with an exciting entertainment brand and enjoy exclusive offers and promotions throughout the year.”
“The partnership between WWE and Kmart is the perfect fit,” said Michelle D. Wilson, EVP, Marketing & Sales. “The exposure Kmart will have across all of our platforms including live events, TV, pay-per-views, digital assets and talent appearances is certain to drive measurable business results.”
About World Wrestling Entertainment
WWE, a publicly traded company (NYSE:WWE), is an integrated media organization and recognized leader in global entertainment. The company consists of a portfolio of businesses that create and deliver original content 52 weeks a year to a global audience. WWE is committed to family-friendly, PG content across all of its platforms including television programming, pay-per-view, digital media and publishing. WWE programming is broadcast in more than 145 countries and 30 languages and reaches more than 500 million homes worldwide. The company is headquartered in Stamford, Conn., with offices in New York, Los Angeles, London, Shanghai, Singapore and Tokyo.
Additional information on WWE (NYSE:WWE) can be found at wwe.com and corporate.wwe.com. For information on our global activities, go to http://www.wwe.com/worldwide/.
About Kmart
Kmart, a wholly owned subsidiary of Sears Holdings Corporation (NASDAQ: SHLD), is a mass merchandising company that offers customers quality products through a portfolio of exclusive brands that include Jaclyn Smith, Joe Boxer, County Living, Route 66 and Smart Sense. For more information, visit the company’s website at www.kmart.com or the Sears Holdings Corporation website at www.searsholdings.com.
Trademarks: All WWE programming, talent names, images, likenesses, slogans, wrestling moves, trademarks, copyrights and logos are the exclusive property of WWE, Inc. and its subsidiaries. All other trademarks, logos and copyrights are the property of their respective owners.
WWE Forward-Looking Statements: This news release contains forward-looking statements pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, which are subject to various risks and uncertainties. These risks and uncertainties include the conditions of the markets for live events, broadcast television, cable television, pay-per-view, Internet, feature films, entertainment, professional sports, and licensed merchandise; acceptance of the Company’s brands, media and merchandise within those markets; uncertainties relating to litigation; risks associated with producing live events both domestically and internationally; uncertainties associated with international markets; risks relating to maintaining and renewing key agreements, including television distribution agreements; and other risks and factors set forth from time to time in Company filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Actual results could differ materially from those currently expected or anticipated. In addition to these risks and uncertainties, our dividend is based on a number of factors, including our liquidity and historical and projected cash flow, strategic plan, our financial results and condition, contractual and legal restrictions on the payment of dividends and such other factors as our board of directors may consider relevant.