How Dropbox helps TNA wrestling deliver entertainment to billions
“When you’re the person in charge of sharing collateral with 120 countries, your choice of technology is crucial – it can be the difference between success and failure.”
The words of Simon Rothstein, Head of International Communications for one of the world’s largest sports entertainment companies, TNA wrestling.
So, now working for a US company in a UK office, has the move to Dropbox worked?
Let’s get some context first. TNA wrestling is huge. It appears on TV in 120 countries including Challenge TV in the UK and Ireland, Pop TV in America and Sony SIX across the Indian subcontinent.
Even if you’re not a fan of the wrestling ring, you’ve probably at least come across some of TNA’s stars including Olympic Gold Medallist Kurt Angle, MMA fighter Bobby Lashley, and wrestling great Jeff Hardy. The company’s flagship show IMPACT, which airs on Sunday nights on Challenge in the UK, is watched by millions and reaches viewers in 14 different languages.
“All this adds up to a huge amount of content,” said Simon. “Hundreds of PR and marketing files need to be shared all over the globe to promote the show to more than one billion fans each week.
Earlier this month we checked in with Simon to find out how he’s getting on.
Why was Dropbox one of the first cloud tools TNA invested in?
“TNA is based in Nashville, US. I am more than 4,000 miles away, and with a six-hour time difference, in London, it’s always been a challenge to provide PR and marketing support and materials to all our 120 markets in real time.
Physically sending tapes, hard drives or memory sticks is both costly and timely. It’s a thing of the past. Even more modern online transfer tools are tricky and unreliable. It takes ages to load and send, especially when relying on local download speeds. Then there are expiry dates, version control and compatibility problems leading to the dreaded “can you send it again” emails.
The day my bosses in Nashville told me we were moving to cloud everything changed. And when the team chose Dropbox, I knew we were on to something.”
How has the cloud helped you improve efficiency at TNA?
“I have trialled many options in my time, and suffered many close calls as a result of their failures. But finally it was cloud which transformed the way I work.
I look back at how I used to collaborate with my colleagues around the globe and think of the time I wasted, the amount of stress I was under and the sheer frustration of trying to do something as simple as share a large file with my team.
Like almost all businesses, the sports entertainment industry relies on a quick turnaround. Especially when dealing with international partners who may wish to add their own subtitles, voice overs or cultural elements.
We are a quicker, more efficient and more relaxed team than we were in the past and it’s all down to cloud.”
How has Dropbox transformed internal collaboration at TNA?
“It has completely changed the way I work at TNA. I can rely on the unlimited storage and unbeatable accuracy to ensure seamless collaboration with all our broadcast partners.
And it’s not just for the week-to-week shows I rely on Dropbox. At the end of January, our TNA MAXIMUM IMPACT Tour hits the UK, with stops in Manchester, London and Birmingham. Hundreds of files were shared as part of planning process, and even more content will need to be shared with the 119 other countries after the event, prior to the tour’s worldwide broadcast in February or March – often while we’re on the move.”
