WCW Running Small Venues

By Scott Keith on 12 August 2018

Hey Scott,

Have a random one for you.

Why at the height of WCWs popularity in the late 90s did they continue to run TV in both small towns and small venues? I’m watching Thunder from March 98, and while it’s definitely the B show, it’s still early in its lifespan to be relevant (Hogan is on as I write this), but the show is coming from a convention center in Columbus, Ohio where the ceiling is about 40 feet high and holds a few thousand at best.

Was it still a Turner thing to try and keep costs down where they could or what? Their TV often has that 94-96 feel of Raws in terms of locations.

Thanks

Their buildings were booked pretty far in advance, and at the point when they arranged shows in those places, they were still drawing attendance appropriate for small towns. Then the promotion exploded and they started booking bigger arenas. Same thing happened to the WWF in 97, where the company was getting hot but they were still running convention centers in Mudlick, KY, which meant small crowds on TV who were MOLTEN hot because suddenly this popular product was in their town.