Brett Lauderdale of Game Changer Wrestling, or as it is best known by its acronym GCW, spoke with John Pozarowski and I on the Business of the Business podcast on May 31, 2022 . Lauderdale provided extensive insight into the business side of running GCW and the forthcoming summer touring schedule as the company crosses the county for live (and streamed) events. Per Lauderdale, the “Summer of GCW” is the most ambitious season for the company as part of its most ambitious year (2022) with new markets and returning markets on the schedule. 

    Lauderdale is clear he’s never overconfident. Even with a track record of past success, he’s prepared to make sure events draw as much fan interest as much as possible. When selecting where to run events, some market choices are based on fans reaching out and asking GCW to come.

Following GCW’s transition from IWTV (in what played out publicly as a he said/he said in terms of contractual commitments both publicly and in court briefings before a recent settlement), FITE has been GCW’s main outlet in delivering content domestically. FITE was acquired by TRILLER, a video sharing social networking service founded in 2015 that is best known for its unique boxing spectacles. “The Wrld” on GCW at the Hammerstein Ballroom was described by Lauderdale as selling about five times higher than their previous high of buys on the FITE platform (such as Cardona-Gage, Moxley-Gage and Spring Break III). GCW may return to the Hammerstein Ballroom in January, 2023. Lauderdale says Hammerstein management would love to have them back. He’d like “The Wrld” to be an annual event but knows that things have to align to make it viable each year. One could imagine those things to be continued upward momentum for the promotion and the build to an appealing match that could have its conclusion in a venue of this stature. 

    When asked about a potential expanded relationship with TRILLER (parent company of FITE and THUZIO), Lauderdale feels that TRILLER is interested in big events but no one outside of FITE has approached Lauderdale. However, he has thought about TRILLER when seeing the resources (“aka cash”) that the company uses to support events. In terms of expanded distribution, the company’s focus is in creating their own “network” or platform to remove the middleman according to Lauderdale. He would like to take greater advantage of the GCW library and has full access to its back catalog. He explains that any content can be pulled from the platforms that house it now. The rights to the Settlement Series events will rest with IWTV for a certain period of time but will then return to GCW. 

    GCW ran the day before AEW’s Double or Nothing in Las Vegas last weekend, with almost 1,000 people in attendance. Lauderdale describes running shows adjacent to major companies’ events, like those of All Elite Wrestling, as a bonus when running those markets. He is a fan of other promotions and went to see this year’s  Double or Nothing in-person. 

    Starrcast weekend this year will coincide with a WWE event for the first time, visiting Nashville this July. GCW will run another high profile event that weekend. Lauderdale is expecting a huge turnout. He describes Conrad Thompson, the founder of STARRCAST and current king of the world of pro wrestling podcasts, as a long-time friend and supporter of GCW, who had attended shows in Nashville in the past. 

    The Atlantic City shows this coming weekend, on June 4 and 5, are the kickoff to the “deathmatch season”, according to Lauderdale. He is expecting a big crowd over two days of events that include the marquee deathmatch series Tournament of Survival and the individual Cage of Survival match with the event branded under the acronym C.O.S. Lauderdale describes Atlantic City as a destination event market. With some recent attendance in the market being down for GCW, he doesn’t feel that it’s an oversaturation of Atlantic City but fans making choices with their resources and travel plans. GCW will close out the summer in the market on August 13 and 14 for “Homecoming Weekend”. 

    In the Detroit market, the company held two shows at Harpos, a motown musical institution that emphasized on its homepage that no masks were required to attend events, but are now returning to the smaller Knights of Columbus. Many fans in the area drive from surrounding states and he feels that travel will be limited but Lauderdale did say that GCW will be back at Harpos. 

    Lauderdale described Los Angeles as a literal “game changer” for the company and an important piece for its growth. A sell-out at the Ukrainian Culture Center (UCC) is “big business”. The Wrestling Observer listed a sell out in the facility as 800 fans in the 5,000 square foot venue, so even non-sell-outs are good numbers there and worthwhile. Even if GCW filled half the UCC, it would still be “a good night” according to Lauderdale. He’d like to be at the UCC as often as possible without fatiguing the market. 

    In a broader discussion on a variety of potential market returns, a location that many consider the birthplace of deathmatch wrestling was discussed: Philadelphia, PA. Lauderdale was clear that it is not due to an over saturated wrestling market in the area. However, he does not feel an urgency to go to Philadelphia as the northeast market is served by GCW in Atlantic City and New York but he can schedule a show in Philadelphia fairly easily, if the market warranted it. Lauderdale feels that the 2300 Arena wouldn’t be overly special at this time for the company as so many promotions are running there.

    GCW continues to run an ambitious schedule across the country. Game Changer Wrestling’s summer will certainly be something to watch. Lauderdale continues to remain ambitious in his growth prospects but also conservative in bookings. His surgical approach to knowing when to expand, when to take big risks and when to pull back on a venue is part of the secret sauce that makes GCW a viable alternative to other national promotions.