Sumo Championship League (SCL) launches later this year. The new promotion promises to bring professional sumo to American audiences with a mandate to combine authenticity, action and a family friendly viewing experience.
SCL is the latest organization looking to seize upon sumo, which has seen its popularity rise steadily over recent years. That surging popularly has been buoyed by the recent exhibition tournaments at London’s Royal Albert Hall and Paris’ Accor Arena.
I spoke with SCL co-founder Stuart Snyder about the promotion and his goals for this year and beyond. Snyder is the former President and COO of both World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) and the company responsible for Disney on Ice, Ringling Bros. and other iconic live productions. More recently Snyder was the President and COO of Turner Broadcasting’s animation arm where he oversaw production at Cartoon Network, Adult Swim and a number of other channels.
