World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc. today said it will provide its upcoming SmackDown!™ brand Pay-Per-View, The Great American Bash, free to domestic USO affiliates upon request so they can host on-base events for military troops across the country. The Great American Bash will be broadcast from the Norfolk Scope Arena live on Pay-Per-View Sunday, June 27, at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT. Subway is the Pay-Per-View sponsor.
Tickets for the event go on sale on Saturday, May 22, and are expected to sell quickly. Tickets can be purchased through Ticketmaster or at the Scope Arena box office.
The announcement was made today at a news conference at noon at the Scope Arena with Norfolk Mayor Paul Fraim, Jeff Hill, Executive Director of USO of Hampton Roads, Inc., and WWE Superstars Sgt Slaughter and Charlie Haas™. Also attending was Thom Prevette, Vice President of Government and Public Affairs, Cox Communications.
“Our troops and their families have shown great courage and strength during this very difficult time, and we’re proud to offer them the opportunity to watch SmackDown!’s The Great American Bash pay-per-view on June 27 absolutely free through their local USO,” said Kurt Schneider, Executive Vice President, Marketing. Schneider said WWE would assist the USOs in working with cable affiliates and satellite providers to work out the technical aspects of showing the Pay-Per-View.
"On behalf of the City of Norfolk, I’m pleased to welcome World Wrestling Entertainment back to Scope and to a fan base that’s one of the best in the country. We’re especially pleased that next month’s Great American Bash will mark the first ever pay-per-view wrestling event for Norfolk and the Scope arena, and I want to thank the good folks at WWE for making this event possible," said Mayor Fraim.
“This will be a tremendous morale boost for our men and women in uniform,” said Jeff Hill. “The WWE has been a staunch supporter of our military men and women, and have proven it once again by offering the Great American Bash Pay-Per-View free to domestic USOs to show to the troops. I tip my hat to the WWE and the cable affiliates and satellite providers who are working together to make this happen.”
“Cox Communications is pleased to work with the WWE to bring the Great American Bash free to USOs across the United States for the benefit of our troops,” said Thom Prevette.
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