.png)
With a wrestling revolution happening right now in the Chinese market, Tanglang Media stands at the center of it all
As professional wrestling continues to span the globe, one of the emerging leaders in both the sports and entertainment aspects is Tanglang Media
The company, based in China, may have its roots in the ring, but its reach extends far beyond the squared circle. Middle Kingdom Wrestling has already established itself as the leader in pro wrestling in China. Now, some of the minds behind that promotion are associated with Tanglang Media.
All of these different ventures have introduced whole, new forms of entertainment to a burgeoning market in the Orient.
With nearly 1.5 billion potential customers, the media group sees the value in that opportunity. Standing amongst it all is MKW promoter, Adrian Gomez. He began living in China in 2010, and he says that the nation is hungry for content. Particularly that of athletics and competition.
“I originally moved here on a bit of a whim” Gomez stated, in a recent interview with the Real Rasslin’ podcast. “I moved to the city of Harbin after I saw it on a TV show. But, I had the bug to start a wrestling promotion of my own long before that. Eventually, I started checking into what all it would take to start a wrestling company in China.”
It all went from there, and the company has been growing steadily. The wrestling game is alive and well in the vast Asian nation.
As mentioned, Adrian Gomez is also the head of Tanglang Media. Behind both of those separate - but cooperating - entities, he's assumed the lion's share of the local market and is rapidly spreading their global fingerprint.
However, the company's different platforms include projects outside of professional wrestling, even though their presence and influence are clearly felt. The interest in streaming combat sports in China is at an all-time high and continues to grow. The organization plans on having its finger on the pulse of whatever comes next.
With demand for digital sports content on the rise, Tanglang has been exploring new and exciting ways to take advantage of it
Their focus on video streaming and short-form video are what they feel will bring major opportunities for not only their own growth but domestic partnerships and sponsorships, as well. Gomez says the ultimate goal is to open up the market to all the possibilities the world holds for it, and vice versa. So in many ways, the marriage of an open Chinese market with sports entertainment content is a win-win for everyone involved.
"I really believe that as wrestling continues to establish itself in China, we look to integrate both of them together," Gomez said. "And we don’t just put on wrestling shows. We promote a lot of different things – art, music, slogans, that's wrestling-related and aimed at a Chinese audience.”
For years, the Chinese market has been one of the hardest to penetrate because of limited access to international websites as a result of the country’s 'Great Firewall.' There are regulatory and political risks that make it difficult for foreign businesses to break into China. Needless to say, that can affect the official distribution of content, which other organizations have shied away from.
However, Tanglang Media operates within the firewall, which exposes its clients to a huge market, and potentially 1.5 billion consumers. They also have a foothold with local personalities and media, which can open many doors for sports entertainment.
It’s an exciting proposition and one that really could have a major ripple effect on professional wrestling and other forms of online entertainment. Especially now that the coronavirus crisis is starting to wane.
"When COVID really took hold, China implemented a zero-tolerance policy, which really made the last nearly three years really difficult," Gomez recalled. "Essentially the idea - at least during the pandemic - was to create a system where if there was literally one case of COVID, just one case, then the city where that case was located would have to shut down."
"And as more COVID variants began to pop up, things got more and more difficult. Where (MKW) started out, we thought we would get locked down once every couple of months. Instead, we started getting locked down several times a month."
During this time, the promotion stayed alive by presenting an online show. As things have subsided, MKW is moving forward quickly in 2023.
While Japan and India are already heavily invested in the mat and fight game, there’s still lots of room for growth in the country known as the ‘Middle Kingdom’
For Adrian Gomez, that’s where it matters. In the ring, as his product continues to grow right along with Tanglang Media. That’s the ultimate goal: To bring the most entertaining product they can to a new market while sharing the beauty of the culture with the world. All while growing their brand, along with those of their partners.
“Thankfully, one of the most interesting aspects is the fact that we are located in China. That's kept people interested in us, and watching what we do and how we grow. We've had a lot of people take notice of us because they're curious. And what they're curious about is the potential."
"We're involved in so much more than just pro wrestling right now, and we are looking to expand even further."
"I'm a combat sports junkie, myself," Gomez said. "What I hope to achieve in the next few years - my ultimate goal - is to help bring other combat sports brands and mixed-martial arts companies to gain access to the market, especially digitally. All while still reflecting the views and values of the Chinese culture."
Comments