Stephanie McMahon On Why WWE Dropped Pro-Wrestling Label For Sports Entertainment

Stephanie McMahon has said that an adverse reaction by advertisers and a need to develop are just some of the reasons why the company changed it's stance from being a 'Pro-Wrestling' company, to Sports Entertainment.

Speaking at the company's yearly business summit, McMahon said how whilst terms such as WrestleMania are world-known now, they weren't so popular decades ago. 

She said: "Advertisers either had an adverse reaction to the words 'professional wrestling,' or they simply didn't understand what it was."

McMahon said how her father Vince McMahon decided the change, hoping potential investors would be able to see the WWE as something entertaining. 

"How could we describe the WWE was based on larger-than-life characters enthralled in relatable storylines? That was when we coined the term 'sports entertainment'."

Stephanie, who works behind the scenes as the chief brand officer, also cited WWE's ability to reimagine storytelling, from the American fervour of the 1980s, to the antihero of the 1990s, to the underdog of the 2000s. 

The RAW Commissioner also spoke on WWE's decision to change to a PG rating in 2008, with the July 22 2008 edition of SmackDown being the first show to use a PG rating. 

"10 years ago, WWE once again reimagined our content and made the strategic decision to become more family-friendly, to grow our multi-generational audience and attract more blue-chip partners," McMahon said.