IndependentWrestling.TV sues GCW for breach of contract
IndependentWrestling.TV is suing Game Changer Wrestling for breach of contract, claiming an estimated $500,000 in revenue loss.
Filed in a Pennsylvania court, the Wilkes-Barre-based IWTV claims they entered into an exclusive contract with Haddonfield, NJ-based GCW in March of 2020 for filming, producing, and digitally distributing their pay-per-view content.
They allege that GCW broke that contract in December 2020 by informing them they were going to stream their PPVs through another platform (FITE.tv).
In the suit, IWTV, which touts 251 promotions and nearly 5000 events on its streaming platform, said that GCW has held 36 PPVs between December 5th and May 15th — a violation of their agreement. They said they notified GCW about the breach of contract, but GCW kept promoting shows anyway.
They estimated the damages are in excess of $500,000, but can’t fully be calculated until GCW provides the revenue from those shows.
On December 26th, GCW tweeted that they were “formally requesting to be released from our IWTV contract. This request comes with sadness and regret, but also with the knowledge that there is apparently no other option. Thank you everyone for your support. #FreeGCW”.
On the same day, GCW owner Brett Lauderdale sent out a flurry of tweets, explaining his side of the situation, part of which is below:
“This is not a call for sympathy or an excuse. This is an acknowledgment that I/we are human and get frustrated and emotional when I feel like my company deserves better. In this new world, our existing agreement w/ IWTV isn’t sustainable & we need a change. We have tried to seek a resolution privately but we’re not having much luck. IWTV will thrive with or without GCW. We just want the opportunity to do the same. Hope you understand. Thanks,”
Neither Lauderdale or GCW have tweeted about this latest development and are focusing on their Tournament of Survival weekend in Atlantic City, NJ.
Since 2011, Josh has been a contributing editor to Wrestling Observer/F4WOnline.com and also hosts the Punch-Out podcast. He has also written for Fight Magazine, Bloody Elbow, Bleacher Report, and other websites. He's a 2000 graduate of the University of Maine, worked in pro sports, and once was an indie ring announcer.