Heyman's solution to improve WWE ratings, Lesnar's appearance on the Stone Cold Podcast
– Paul Heyman, who is the advocate and the spokesperson for the ‘Beast’ Brock Lesnar gave an insight about working with Lesnar and many such topics in an interview for Channel Guide Magzine.
Heyman who has been with Brock during his best and the worst days talks about his podcast appearance, WWE ratings and more. Below are some of the excerpts from the interview:
On Brock Lesnar’s much awaited Stone Cold Podcast appearance:
Heyman says that Lesnar does not have any gameplan for the Stone Cold Steve Austin podcast. He also states that Brock has been in this position where he hasn't had to speak and this will be a good change for him to talk for one hour.
He praises that Steve Austin is extremely well versed with his topics and that he will not only come out all guns blazing but will also improvise on it. This is what Heyman stated.
“I think it’s a very interesting scenario,” Heyman agrees. “Brock Lesnar has not been in a position where he had to speak for a full hour. This is a first time for Brock. Austin is a great host, and he does tremendous research on the subject matter. Then he goes with his gut when he is on the air. So you have two very interesting people with great passion for what they do. There is no shortage of topics for them to talk about.
“Brock has no game plan walking into this podcast. I would suspect that Steve Austin is going to feel it the night that he sits in front of that microphone. While he will be profoundly researched and have all his facts and figures, I think Steve is still going to improvise it with that ammunition and having the resource of all that information.
On the panic that WWE ratings have caused:
Heyman talks about the vicious circle about fan ratings. He says that fans do leave for other interests but it is vital to replace these fans and thus grow your ratings. He explains this is how it works, you not only maintain the existing fans but also tap in new ones with the product.
He says, “I think if there is an erosion in the ratings then we are in a cycle within the industry where fans are going and looking for or finding other interests. This is not dissimilar to any other forms of entertainment. The key has always been to replace those who leave, to bring in more fans at any time you are losing fans. At this particular point in time, there is a search to find the new fan.
He adds, ”I am not one who looks at the ratings every Tuesday and says, ‘Well, we haven’t replaced everybody that is left. The ratings didn’t double.’ I’m not expecting that type of increase tomorrow or the next week or the week after that. Any business with longevity and this is the one company in the business that has survived, deals with this.”
He talks about the long-term solution for ratings and that every few years it will always enter this cycle where the ratings would fall due to the exodus of fans.
“A long-term solution is with a number of brand new stars, all in compelling situations with riveting storylines and new match-ups. That is what will bring an upswing to the ratings ever so slowly to where the average rating goes up a little bit each month. A couple of years from now, the erosion will take the place of the people that have left being fans and a new generation or group or crop of fans comes in. It’s natural evolution of any form of entertainment.”