WWE Network/Peacock Cut Indie Wrestling Content, PROGRESS & ICW Issue Statements
ICW and PROGRESS issue statements as WWE partnership comes to an end.
Leading British wrestling promotions PROGRESS Wrestling and ICW have released statements as the groups' respective partnerships with WWE come to an end.
Fightful Select had reported earlier in the week that independent wrestling content was soon to leave the WWE Network and Peacock, raising questions. It was noted at the time that several of the companies impacted had already launched follow-up plans.
PROGRESS and ICW have now confirmed that the agreements for their content to air on WWE's streaming platforms are to expire without renewal. Those partnerships had been in place for several years, coming as part of WWE's encroachment into the once-burgeoning British independent scene, and saw the market leaders progressively build vast content libraries for two of the United Kingdom's most popular promotions.
PROGRESS wrote:-
PROGRESS Wrestling‘s first show of 2023 was named START SPREADING THE NEWS for a very clear reason, and they can now confirm that its very positive and long-standing partnership with WWE Network is coming to a harmonious end.
After six years and nearly 50 shows, both promotions are pursuing different digital media strategies, and fans of both WWE and PROGRESS are going to be the beneficiaries.
As one chapter closes, so they say, another one opens, and PROGRESS management can confirm that they are in discussions with a number of high profile global digital media and streaming options.
PROGRESS own an unrivalled video library containing more than a decade’s worth of the best of independent wrestling, showcasing many household names that have wrestled at PROGRESS over the course of the past 11 years.
Wrestlers such as Pete Dunne, Toni Storm, Walter (current WWE Intercontinental champion, now known as Gunther), Adam Cole, AEW World Champion MJF, Samoa Joe, Swerve Strickland, Will Ospreay and Matt Riddle, to name just a few, have competed and enhanced their careers at PROGRESS Wrestling during this period.
This extensive content library has more than 650 hours, featuring 170 shows, which resulted in PROGRESS Wrestling being the biggest independent wrestling company to feature on the WWE Network.
Further news announced at the eponymous chapter is that PROGRESS will be returning to the US in March at Los Angeles and linking up with WWE’s showcase WrestleMania 39.
ICW, meanwhile, issued its statement via Twitter thread:-
ICW’s contract with WWE has come to an end.
We’ll be revealing the new homes of ICW programming in due course.
In the meantime, all unaired programming will air on YouTube and ICW On Demand.
A new episode will air on YouTube every day at 5pm GMT from now till Thursday 26 January. ICW On Demand subscribers already have access to 5 new episodes, with 4 more due to air by Tuesday 24 January.
Our ICW Fight Club event on Sunday 29 January will air live on Facebook and YouTube.
Both companies were at the forefront of the British indie boom of the mid-to-late-2010s. PROGRESS drew plaudits for its state-of-the-art in-ring work and incredible, devoted live crowds, while Scotland's ICW was a more raucous affair, taking cues from companies like ECW.
ICW's success was particularly impressive, drawing over 6,000 fans for its Fear & Loathing IX event in November 2016. This was the biggest European wrestling event since the early 1980s, and featured homegrown stars like Joe Hendry, Kay Lee Ray, and Joe Coffey as well as notable fly-ins like Kurt Angle.