WWE moving its show production in Florida

STAMFORD — After nine months in central Florida, WWE is taking its flagship shows to the Sunshine State’s Gulf Coast.

The Stamford-based company has announced a new residency at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, home of Major League Baseball’s Tampa Bay Rays, that will start with the Dec. 11 episode of “Friday Night SmackDown.” The move marks the next phase of WWE’s “ThunderDome” virtual fan experience, which launched in August as part of its residency at Amway Center in Orlando.

“We are proud to have re-imagined the in-arena atmosphere and provide an interactive experience like nothing else in sports and entertainment with the launch of WWE ThunderDome,” Kevin Dunn, WWE’s executive producer and chief of global television production, said in a statement. “Our fans’ response and industrywide recognition are both humbling and further validation of the innovative spirit and passion that exist across the entire WWE organization.”

Through ThunderDome, WWE is digitally connecting fans to its shows. The platform features live video on LED boards, pyrotechnics, lasers, graphics and drone cameras. It is partnering on the initiative with the Famous Group, a fan-experience company based in Culver City, Calif.

“The Tampa Bay Rays are excited to welcome WWE to Tropicana Field for this residency and shine a spotlight on the Tampa Bay area for WWE fans around the world,” Tampa Bay Rays President Matt Silverman said in a statement. “The ballpark will be transformed to host the spectacle of WWE ThunderDome, allowing fans to enjoy this wildly popular experience virtually.”

As it did at Amway Center and during a stay from March to August at its own training center in Orlando, WWE will continue to produce its shows behind closed doors with only “essential personnel” attending, to comply with social distancing regulations during the coronavirus crisis. Fans’ in-person attendance at shows has been suspended since March.

The company said its health and safety protocols for performers and production staff also include COVID-19 testing and mask wearing.

Amid a surge at the time in coronavirus cases in Florida, WWE briefly suspended production in June at its training center after at least one of its performers tested positive for COVID-19.

WWE officials have not set a schedule for when fans’ in-person attendance might resume.

“When COVID lets up and when it is safe for our fans to come in and safe for our performers — that’s all I can tell you in terms of when,” WWE CEO and Chairman Vince McMahon said in an Oct. 29 earnings call.