WWE issued a press release this morning confirming reports that the company will be broadcasting from the Amway Center in Orlando, Florida for the foreseeable future.
Starting with SmackDown this Friday, August 21, WWE will be introducing a new concept called the WWE ThunderDome, featuring a state-of-the-art set, video boards, pyrotechnics, lasers, cutting-edge graphics and drone cameras.
In conjunction with The Famous Group, WWE will virtually bring fans into the arena via live video on massive LED boards in the arena for every episode of Monday Night Raw, Friday Night SmackDown, and WWE pay-per-view event. NXT will continue to be taped at Full Sail University.
Fans can register their seat for upcoming events starting tonight at WWEThunderDome.com.
WWE also announced they will be broadcasting live from the Amway Center “for the foreseeable future.” The shows will be produced on closed sets with only essential personnel in attendance. Talent will continue to receive PCR testing for COVID-19, maintain social distancing, and wear masks.
You can view the full press release below:
WWE® BRINGS THE THUNDER
STAMFORD, Conn., – August 17, 2020 – WWE ThunderDome™, featuring a state-of-the-art set, video boards, pyrotechnics, lasers, cutting-edge graphics and drone cameras, will take WWE fans’ viewing experience to an unprecedented level starting this Friday, August 21 on FOX, kicking off SummerSlam®Weekend.
“WWE has a long history of producing the greatest live spectacles in sports and entertainment, yet nothing compares to what we are creating with WWE ThunderDome,” said Kevin Dunn, WWE Executive Vice President, Television Production. “This structure will enable us to deliver an immersive atmosphere and generate more excitement amongst the millions of fans watching our programming around the world.”
With the debut of WWE ThunderDome, WWE will take residency at Amway Center in Orlando and virtually bring fans into the arena via live video on massive LED boards, in conjunction with The Famous Group and its proprietary technology, for every Monday Night Raw®, Friday Night SmackDown® and WWE pay-per-view event. Starting tonight, fans can register for their virtual seat to be part of upcoming shows via www.WWEThunderDome.com or at WWE’s Facebook, Instagram or Twitter pages.
“As WWE takes residency at the world-class Amway Center, we have reimagined our live event experience for today’s environment,” said Brian Flinn, WWE Chief Marketing & Communications Officer. “In partnership with The Famous Group, we will virtually bring our fans back into the show and recreate the interactive in-arena atmosphere that has been a staple of WWE events for decades.”
WWE Event Schedule for August:
— Friday, August 21 – Friday Night SmackDown®, Amway Center, 8 pm ET on FOX
— Saturday, August 22 – NXT TakeOver® XXX, Full Sail Live, 7 pm ET on WWE Network
— Sunday, August 23 – SummerSlam, Amway Center, 7 pm ET on WWE Network
— Monday, August 24 – Monday Night Raw®, Amway Center, 8 pm ET on USA Network
— Wednesday, August 26 – NXT®, Full Sail Live, 8 pm ET on USA Network
— Friday, August 28 – Friday Night SmackDown, Amway Center, 8 pm ET on FOX
— Sunday, August 30 – Payback®, Amway Center, 7 pm ET on WWE Network
— Monday, August 31 – Monday Night Raw, Amway Center, 8 pm ET on USA Network
WWE’s Amway Center residency will continue for the foreseeable future and Raw, SmackDown and pay-per-view programming will be produced on closed sets with only essential personnel in attendance. WWE will continue to administer its health and safety protocols for talent, crew and employees in conjunction with each production, including PCR testing for COVID-19, social distancing and wearing masks.
About The Famous Group
The Famous Group (TFG) is a full-service fan experience company located in Culver City, Calif. For more than 20 years, TFG has helped the biggest brands, venues, and events in the world connect with fans, both physically and virtually, through creating immersive fan experiences utilizing award-winning creative, rock-solid production and proprietary technology. TFG has delivered on the biggest stages for Fortune 500 companies, professional sports teams and leagues, Esports, concerts, festivals and retail environments. The company has serviced 15 Super Bowls and clients like Nike, Live Nation, NBA, NHL, NCAA Final Four, Ubisoft, Pepsi, AT&T and more than 90 professional sports teams and venues.
About WWE
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 entertainment on its television programming, pay-per-view, digital media and publishing platforms. WWE’s TV-PG, family-friendly programming can be seen in more than 800 million homes worldwide in 28 languages. WWE Network, the first-ever 24/7 over-the-top premium network that includes all live pay-per-views, scheduled programming and a massive video-on-demand library, is currently available in more than 180 countries. The company is headquartered in Stamford, Conn., with offices in New York, Los Angeles, London, Mexico City, Mumbai, Shanghai, Singapore, Dubai, Munich 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/.