All Elite Wrestling (AEW) executives Brandi and Cody Rhodes will shine a light on their personal lives in TNT’s new unscripted series Rhodes to the Top, premiering Sept. 29.

The series goes inside the lives of the wrestling power couple as they navigate their growing family while helping to build AEW’s global wrestling empire, according to TNT. Brandi Rhodes said the series pulls no punches and provides an intimate look at both the business and personal lives of the couple, who were married in 2013. 

“The reality is that when you do a reality TV show, you should be willing to be real,” Brandi Rhodes said during the recent Television Critics Association Summer Press Tour. “If you’re not, I don’t understand what the goal is. I just went into this with complete transparency as you will see.” 

Brandi and Cody Rhodes sat down with Multichannel News senior content producer, programming R. Thomas Umstead in 2019, prior to the launch of TNT’s AEW: Dynamite series, to discuss the broad appeal of pro wrestling. 

Read Also: 'AEW: Dynamite' Wrestling Series to Debut on TBS in January

In a Battle Royale reminiscent of the 1990s pro-wrestling wars, USA Network and WWE are facing a legitimate challenge to their decades-long reign as pro wrestling’s heavyweight champions. TNT last Wednesday (Oct. 2) officially stepped back into the squared ring with All Elite Wrestling: Dynamite, a weekly TV series from upstart All Elite Wrestling. And USA and WWE hit right back, going head-to-head against Dynamite with a series of their own, WWE NXT.

While TNT’s AEW franchise and USA’s WWE NXT series going head to head for viewers on Wednesday nights, industry observers say the pro-wrestling genre is a content champion for networks looking to pin down younger cord-cutters and cable-nevers with action-packed, live sports entertainment programming.

“The way to combat the increase in streaming is to offer live event programming, and if that programming is sports content targeted to young men, then you’ve hit the trifecta,” media consultant Bill Carroll said. “Pro wrestling provides that across 52 weeks a year of live primetime programming that, in essence, regenerates itself.”

Appointment TV

USA, TNT, Fox and independent AXS TV (the new home to Impact Wrestling) are betting that loyal, young male viewers will tune into pro-wrestling programming to root for their favorite, athletically-inclined heroes and masked villains as they jump off of ring ropes, slam into tables and get thrown into corner ring posts. Wrestling’s value to TV networks in this hyper-competitive video era was underscored by WWE’s lucrative new deals with USA parent Comcast NBCUniversal and with Fox last year, and by AT&T-owned WarnerMedia’s investment in AEW.

“Wrestling has survived the war of attrition with regard to programming formats [while] primetime dramas and sitcoms have suffered major audience drop-offs in recent years,” sports analyst Lee Berke said. “The only genre that has maintained some sort of viewership appeal has been wrestling. It is name-brand sports-themed content that has perennially drawn linear TV viewers.”

Leading the genre’s charge has been WWE, whose long-running Monday Night Raw and SmackDown franchises offer new episodes every week of the year. In fact, Raw is television’s longest-running weekly episodic program ever, with 1,375 episodes since its 1993 debut. The show has averaged between 4 million and 5 million viewers over its 26-year run, per Nielsen live-plus-seven-day ratings.

WWE co-president Michelle Wilson said the success of Raw and the 20-year-old SmackDown franchise — the retitled Friday Night SmackDown moved to Fox Oct. 4 after a three-year run Tuesday nights on USA — has been based on the WWE’s ability to market and promote its product across shows and platforms.

“We’ve cracked the code on how to successfully cross-promote to drive audiences from show to show, whether it’s to a specific network or platform,” Wilson said. “We love the fact that being on Monday nights on USA we can drive the audience to Wednesdays on USA and now to Fridays on Fox.”

It also helps to have big-name stars that transcend wrestling, from Hulk Hogan in the 1980s to, more recently, Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson and John Cena. The Rock, along with other WWE alumni, were scheduled to help bring wrestling fans to SmackDown for its Fox premiere, which marked 20th anniversary of the live, two-hour show.

“Since we announced our five-year agreement [with the WWE for SmackDown] last June, we have been eagerly counting down the days to the launch of SmackDown Live on Fox Sports,” Fox Sports CEO and executive producer Eric Shanks said.

WWE president Wilson said SmackDown’s over-the-air exposure on Fox will provide additional promotion for the company’s other weekly cable shows, including NXT, the series that launched this past Wednesday [Oct. 2] on NBCUniversal-owned USA.

“We have the opportunity on broadcast television to reach 110 million households where we can promote NXT Wednesday nights and back to Raw on Monday nights,” Wilson said. “For us, we love that across all three shows — and then reinforced with our 1 billion social media followers around the world — we can promote all three brands.”

TNT hopes to cut into the WWE’s stranglehold on the genre with All Elite Wrestling, the first pro wrestling content on the network since 2001 when it aired the Turner-owned World Championship Wrestling’s WCW Monday Nitro series directly against Monday Night Raw. Then-Turner parent AOL Time Warner eventually sold WCW’s assets to WWE in 2001.

“AEW sets out to be wrestling’s sports-centric brand, with a huge emphasis on quality of life for talent,” AEW executive vice president Cody Rhodes, also an in-ring performer, said. “[The WWE] loves to say they are sports entertainment, and that’s what they’ve marketed and done so well. We’re going in a completely different route … it’s almost like you’re watching the UFC or a boxing event.”

TNT senior vice president of original programming Sam Linsky said the live, action-packed content of pro wrestling fits well with the TNT brand, which includes live National Basketball Association games and marquee movies.

Along with TNT’s weekly airing of AEW: Dynamite, the Turner Sports-owned streaming service Bleacher Report Live will also carry AEW’s pay-per-views and other special event programming, according to AEW chief brand officer Brandi Rhodes.

“Wrestling has been a monopoly for 20 years … fans are actually craving some different styles and different ways of presenting wrestling,” Linsky said. “We have such a great history here, it felt like a natural match on network that has a lot of sports and high-octane movies, and is really known historically for being part of the wrestling [genre].”

In the other corner on Wednesday nights is WWE NXT, which was created in 2014 for its then upstart streaming service WWE Network. The live, two-hour NXT series also made its USA debut Oct. 2.

“I just love the brand of NXT,” USA Network and Syfy president Chris McCumber said. “They have this kind of fight cult feel to it as if you’re in the club. We’re all about investing in passionate clubs and passionate fans, and NXT is definitely part of that.”

Added Wilson: “From an advertiser/ratings perspective, we know that its reaching a younger, more male audience, so that is unique positioning The brand is a little grittier and edgier to appeal to that audience specifically.”

In their first head-to head matchup, AEW: Dynamite drew more than 1.4 million total viewers compared to NXT’s more than 890,000 watchers, prompting a statement from WWE congratulating TNT and AEW on a successful premiere. “The real winners of [Wednesday’s] head-to-head telecasts of NXT on USA Network and AEW on TNT are the fans, who can expect Wednesday nights to be a competitive and wild ride as this is a marathon, not a one-night sprint,” WWE added.

Neither WWE’s Wilson nor TNT’s Linsky expressed concern about suffering a ratings smackdown due to the head-to-head competition between their respective wrestling franchises. In fact, both believe that the competition will create audiences for each show.

“We view competition as an opportunity to make ourselves better,” Wilson said. “The Monday-night [wrestling] wars years ago actually increased viewership because of the back and forth between the two brands at the time. We view competition as a good thing.”

Added Linsky: “[AEW] is a challenger brand and fits right into the narrative of the franchise. If we can deliver something special and a great product to fans, there’s room for everybody.”

Crowded Ring

Other networks such as the Anthem Sports & Entertainment-owned AXS TV — which will feature the Impact Wrestling series to accompany its WOW (Women of Wrestling) and NJPW (New Japan Pro-Wrestling) wrestling shows — have also embraced wrestling’s sports entertainment appeal.

“Professional wrestling is the hottest programming on TV right now for a number of reasons, but one of the main reasons is how relatable the content is to the viewing audience,” said Ed Nordholm, chief corporate officer of Anthem Sports & Entertainment and president of Impact Wrestling. “The sport authentically engages with its fans like no other, and the stories extend well beyond the ring, through appearances and performances, as well as its coverage in the media and social.”

While AEW’s content rating is TV-14, Carroll said that for the most part, today’s more family-friendly, TV-PG-rated wrestling shows have provided opportunities for advertisers to target hard to reach young viewers than the more violent wrestling shows of two decades ago.

“There’s no longer the same degree of scrutiny of wrestling as there was years ago, mainly because they no longer pretend that they are a real sport and now present themselves as a sports-like exhibition,” he said. “As a result, you have a mix of storylines, live events and a degree of competition, which bring in audiences. Advertisers will go where the audiences they are targeting are likely to be.”

As cable TV’s wrestling ring becomes increasingly crowded, industry observers expressed concerns that the genre may soon reach its peak.

“There could end up being a glut … it remains to be seen,” Berke said. “If you have the right stars and the right writers, then it can work, but you have to create stars. That’s who people tune in to see.”

Added Carroll: “Ultimately the viewing audience is going to make that decision. How each show develops their matches will determine whether viewers will watch one or more of these shows.”

All Elite Wrestling: Dynamite begins on TNT Oct. 2, with matches taking place live each Wednesday. Tony Khan is president and CEO of All Elite Wrestling, and talent includes Chris Jericho, The Young Bucks and Cody and Brandi Rhodes.

TNT parent WarnerMedia said All Elite Wrestling offers fans “more athleticism along with real sports analytics.”

Brandi Rhodes, who was a reporter in Flint, Michigan, before switching to wrestling, is both a wrestler and chief brand officer for AEW. She spoke with Multichannel News about how to build a wrestling outfit from scratch, and how AEW differs from WWE. An edited transcript follows.

MCN: Where does the talent come from for a new wrestling league? Do you make talent or get it from other leagues?
Brandi Rhodes: The wrestling world is very vast these days. People are unaware of how vast it is because they’ve only been aware of one brand of wrestling for the past 20 or so years. The independent scene is where most of wrestling thrives, and that’s where you see a lot of our newer names come from. You’re seeing these people that are incredible and you’re saying: “Where on earth have they been? I’ve never heard of them.” That’s because they’ve been on the independent circuit for a long time and that’s not necessarily televised.

MCN: How is AEW different from WWE?
BR: AEW is different from all the competitive brands because we’re so focused on bell-to-bell action. We’re calling ourselves sports-centric, in that what takes place between the ropes, in the ring, is most important to us. You’ll see a lot of high-intensity action. We let the stories play out inside the ring, not backstage, not so much TV-style drama. AEW will feel more like you’re watching a sporting event than what some people may be used to with professional wrestling.

MCN: How important is live to the program?
BR: The live audience there, carrying people on — that’s how you know how intense the activity is. The reaction’s happening right then and there. Nothing is being created for you; it’s all actually happening.

MCN: Who’s a wrestler for viewers to keep an eye on?
BR: People are familiar with Chris Jericho and my husband Cody and The Young Bucks because they’ve been making names for themselves for a long time. But these are important people to continue to watch because you’re going to see them evolve right before your eyes.

Then there are a lot of new stars, especially in the women’s division, like Nyla Rose and Britt Baker. You’re gonna see a lot of Japanese talent you haven’t seen before. All them are must-watch. You’re going to see a full evolution of the athletes right in front of you. If you’re not a huge wrestling fan, it’s a fantastic time to jump right on board with AEW because you’re going to be there at the ground level, seeing everybody flourish from the start.

MCN: How did you get your start in wrestling?
BR: I was hired to be a wrestler but fit into the role of ring announcer because of my background in television and media. I spent quite a bit of time in that role sitting at ringside, watching all the matches. I always wanted to be involved in the action so I stepped away from that role and just set out on a path of my own and blazed an independent wrestling trail. Now I’m a professional wrestler and a manager for my husband, as well as CBO [chief brand officer] of this immensely growing company. It’s been quite a ride for me in the wrestling business, and we’re still going.

MCN: Do you have a signature move in the ring?
BR: I broke my collarbone about a year and a half ago and had a metal plate put into my shoulder. I use that metal plate a lot to my advantage; one of my signature moves is a spear that literally breaks people in half if I hit it just right. It’s a guaranteed win for me most of the time. Drawing inspiration from my late father-in-law [Dusty Rhodes] with the Bionic Elbow, I call it the Bionic Spear.

MCN: Is it fair to your opponents that you have metal in your shoulder?
BR: Was it fair for me to have to endure the surgery? No, but I’m tough as nails, so I’ll keep that in my shoulder. People can get better or get pinned.

As WarnerMedia prepares for the launch of its new streaming service later this year, it is expanding the content breadth and depth of two of its biggest linear network brands, TNT and TBS.

“We’re committed to long-term value creation,” Kevin Reilly, Chief Creative Officer, WarnerMedia Direct-to-Consumer, and President, TBS/TNT said during WarnerMedia's May 15 upfront presentation at Madison Square Garden. “We’re in the midst of a transformation at WarnerMedia, building upon our significant assets to create new capabilities and new possibilities – more connection, more insight and more value in the complex media landscape."

Once focused on drama and sports content, TNT will welcome more unscripted content to its lineup, according to Reilly. Along with scripted shows such as the Alienist -- which will return to TNT for its sophomore season in 2020 -- the network will add the Ann Curry hosted non-fiction series Chasing the Cure, in which patients battling puzzling ailments meet with a panel of top doctors who work to help solve their cases. At the same time viewers will be able to interact with the show across social media pages, a Facebook group, and a dedicated website where users can submit their cases, according to network officials.

TNT will also team with NBA Hall of Famer Shaquille O’Neal on a new unscripted docuseries Shaq Life, following the NBA On TNT co-host on his pursuit to become the ultimate businessman and entertainer, according to TNT. 

And TNT will get back into wrestling for the first time in 20 years as it teams with AEW Wrestling for a weekly primetime series later this fall.

RELATED: TNT Steps Back Into The Wrestling Ring

For the comedy-centric TBS, the addition of drama shows like thriller series Snowpiercer -- which has already been renewed for a second season ahead of its 2020 debut -- helps bolster the network’s brand as it looks to distinguish itself in a very crowded marketplace.

“Snowpiercer is the perfect show to kick-off TBS’ entry into dramas with intricate storytelling, stunning visuals and first-class acting,” said Brett Weitz, general manager for TBS and TNT.

Now the industry will wait to see what WarnerMedia does with its new streaming service, which WarnerMedia CEO John Stankey said will have an advertising element as part of its design. “We’re investing in premium content across all of our platforms to create deeper, more meaningful connections with consumers,” he added. 

WarnerMedia will launch a new professional wrestling franchise in partnership with All Elite Wrestling, WarnerMedia announced prior to its Thursday morning upfront presentation.

TNT will air live weekly AEW matches later this year, marking TNT’s re-entrance into the wrestling ring in nearly 20 years since airing content from the now defunct WCW pro wrestling franchise in the late 1990s. 

In addition, the AEW will stream content through WarnerMedia’s B/R Live event as well as via pay-per-view, according to company officials.

B/R Live will serve as the exclusive digital streaming partner in the United States for AEW’s May 25 inaugural event, Double or Nothing, said AEW officials.

“All Elite Wrestling is a talent-forward, fan-first league whose inclusive approach to creating high-quality athletic wrestling competitions is already making waves with fans and attracting top-tier wrestlers,” said Michael Quigley, executive vice president, commercial operations, content strategy and monetization for TBS and TNT in a statement. “It is high-adrenaline, gripping entertainment and we can’t wait to bring it to fans everywhere with this game-changing new business.”