Pro Wrestling, Cable TV News Have Much In Common

Westwood One announces American entrepreneur, podcaster, professional wrestling writer/producer and on-screen personality Eric Bischoff just released a TEDx Talk that reveals professional wrestling and political news content follow the same formula.

Eric Bischoff

In the roughly 16-minute presentation titled, “Why The News Media is Stealing From the Pro Wrestling Playbook,” Bischoff formats his talk like a pro wrestling event, explaining how pro wrestling works, and how it’s eerily similar to cable news. Bischoff’s dramatic TEDx Talk is available now.

Bischoff says professional wrestling and news are two of the most enduring forms of content in America, and he comes prepared with proof that the two are the same. He says the goal of both is to make people feel, not think, and even shares current and past politicians connected to sports entertainment, in making his point.

“The first rule of producing professional wrestling is to know that when it comes to the audience, it doesn’t matter if they love or hate a wrestler. As long as they feel passionately one way or another, business will be good,” said Bischoff.

“Cable news is a similar art. The next time you’re watching the news and you find yourself getting angry, you will realize that is how they want you to feel. It’s not about informing you or making you think. Just like professional wrestling. This is a bipartisan phenomenon, and we need to react with awareness of this tactic."


Eric Bischoff can be heard on his weekly podcast 83 Weeks with Eric Bischoff exclusively on Westwood One Podcast Network. His story is extraordinary: In the mid-80s, Bischoff entered the wrestling community as a “C-Team Announcer,” and a few short years later, he was President of Turner Broadcasting’s World Championship Wrestling. He signed Hulk Hogan and started Turner Network Television’s Monday Night Nitro, created the nWo, and beat Vince McMahon’s Monday Night RAW head-to-head in Monday Night Wars 83 consecutive times.