ATLANTA & STAMFORD, Conn.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Cricket Wireless and WWE (NYSE:WWE) announced today that the nation’s fastest growing prepaid wireless brand will team up with WWE in a multi-year agreement, providing Cricket significant visibility and consumer engagement at WWE’s biggest events of the year, including WrestleMania®, SummerSlam®, Royal Rumble® and Payback®.
WWE’s relationship with Cricket Wireless is highlighted by a sponsorship of WWE Network, the first-ever 24/7 direct-to-consumer network, that includes all live pay-per-views, scheduled programming and a massive video-on-demand library. WWE will also utilize its platforms including broadcasts on USA Network, the exclusive home of Monday Night Raw® and SmackDown®, as well as live events, digital and social media to generate awareness and exposure for Cricket Wireless. WWE Superstar John Cena®, the most-followed active U.S. athlete on Facebook, will serve as a Cricket brand ambassador and promote the sponsorship through social and digital media. Cena will also be featured in Cricket Wireless marketing materials and through custom branded content. Additionally, WWE Superstar Dolph Ziggler®, who began serving as a brand ambassador last year, will continue his relationship with Cricket.
“Fans came to our stores in mass, showing incredible passion for the family-friendly entertainment WWE offers and the larger than life Superstars and Divas that ignite the kind of excitement only they can produce,” said Janna Ducich, Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer, Cricket Wireless. “It’s time to take it to the next level. This sponsorship enables us to reach fans through WWE events that have been staples in living rooms for decades. We are in an incredible position to introduce the simplicity, transparency and dependability that sets Cricket apart from all of its competitors.”
“We are proud to unveil this new multi-year relationship with Cricket, an aggressive and fast-growing brand that provides its consumers with a tremendous value proposition and first-class customer experience,” said John Brody, WWE Executive Vice President, Global Sales & Partnerships. “Cricket’s sponsorship will provide them with tremendous opportunities to utilize WWE’s platforms and reach our passionate fan base.”
The relationship with WWE provides Cricket an important platform to educate WWE’s passionate fan base about a better choice in prepaid wireless. Retail promotions, celebrity store appearances, and special incentives, such as free trials to experience WWE Network, will give consumers an opportunity to engage deeply with the entertainment they love and a brand that will make their wireless experience better.
About the new Cricket Wireless
Cricket is bringing consumers more value with a simple, friendly, and reliable nationwide wireless experience with no annual contract. The power of Cricket is our nationwide 4G LTE network that covers more than 308 million people;* easy and affordable plans prices that include taxes and fees – no surprises; and a great selection of phones customers love. Cricket, Something to Smile About. To check out the new Cricket or find a store near you, visitwww.cricketwireless.com. And connect with us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/cricketnation and Twitter at www.twitter.com/cricketnation.
Cricket is a subsidiary of AT&T Inc. Coverage not available everywhere. © 2016 Cricket Wireless LLC. All rights reserved. Cricket and the Cricket logo are trademarks under license to Cricket Wireless LLC.
*Based on coverage in U.S. licensed/roaming areas. Compatible device required. Coverage not available everywhere. 4G LTE coverage is not equivalent to overall network coverage.
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 programming reaches more than 650 million homes worldwide in 25 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/.
Trademarks: All WWE programming, talent names, images, likenesses, slogans, wrestling moves, trademarks, logos and copyrights are the exclusive property of WWE and its subsidiaries. All other trademarks, logos and copyrights are the property of their respective owners.
Forward-Looking Statements: This press 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, without limitation, risks relating to: WWE Network; major distribution agreements; our need to continue to develop creative and entertaining programs and events; the possibility of a decline in the popularity of our brand of sports entertainment; the continued importance of key performers and the services of Vincent K. McMahon; possible adverse changes in the regulatory atmosphere and related private sector initiatives; the highly competitive, rapidly changing and increasingly fragmented nature of the markets in which we operate and greater financial resources or marketplace presence of many of our competitors; uncertainties associated with international markets; our difficulty or inability to promote and conduct our live events and/or other businesses if we do not comply with applicable regulations; our dependence on our intellectual property rights, our need to protect those rights, and the risks of our infringement of others’ intellectual property rights; the complexity of our rights agreements across distribution mechanisms and geographical areas; potential substantial liability in the event of accidents or injuries occurring during our physically demanding events including, without limitation, claims relating to CTE; large public events as well as travel to and from such events; our feature film business; our expansion into new or complementary businesses and/or strategic investments; our computer systems and online operations; a possible decline in general economic conditions and disruption in financial markets; our accounts receivable; our revolving credit facility; litigation; our potential failure to meet market expectations for our financial performance, which could adversely affect our stock; Vincent K. McMahon exercises control over our affairs, and his interests may conflict with the holders of our Class A common stock; a substantial number of shares are eligible for sale by the McMahons and the sale, or the perception of possible sales, of those shares could lower our stock price; and the relatively small public “float” of our Class A common stock. In addition, our dividend is dependent on a number of factors, including, among other things, our liquidity and historical and projected cash flow, strategic plan (including alternative uses of capital), our financial results and condition, contractual and legal restrictions on the payment of dividends (including under our revolving credit facility), general economic and competitive conditions and such other factors as our Board of Directors may consider relevant. Forward-looking statements made by the Company speak only as of the date made and are subject to change without any obligation on the part of the Company to update or revise them. Undue reliance should not be placed on these statements. For more information about risks and uncertainties associated with the Company’s business, please refer to the “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” and “Risk Factors” sections of the Company’s SEC filings, including, but not limited to, our annual report on Form 10-K and quarterly reports on Form 10-Q.
