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SLAM! Sports
SLAM! Wrestling |
Saturday, July 28, 2001 Mat Rats aims for distributionThe Palace Night Club has Matrats.The "next-generation" wrestling series, which is produced by Calgary's Digital Artisans Guild Inc., hopes to woo U.S. distributors and advertisers -- as well as entertain more than 1,000 fans -- with a live show at the club tomorrow night. Executives from U.S.-based Western International Syndication, which has expressed interest in distributing the series for an American and possibly worldwide audience, will be on hand, said executive vice-president Eric Bischoff. "They can see it up close and personal as opposed to watching a tape of it. So there's a lot riding on this, but we feel very confident." About 20 wrestlers will participate in the two-hour event, which Bischoff stresses won't look like anything fans have seen from the WWF. "This isn't a bad copy of the WWF, or even a good copy. It's truly an alternative." Producers are also finalizing negotiations for a Matrats pay-per-view special with In Demand Television in the U.S. to air Oct. 28. That special will likely be produced either in Calgary or in Vancouver, he said. The series will likely reach television audiences by the middle of next year. This past spring, DAG announced that it has signed a two-year contract for Matrats to be marketed and distributed by Mandalay Sports Entertainment and E-Media. The series is an interactive teen-oriented wrestling and music show designed for both the Internet and traditional TV. Each show is expected to generate about $350,000 US in gross revenues for domestic and international licence fees. The cost of an episode is estimated at $175,000 US. -- Calgary Sun More on MatRats
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