A Florida mayor said World Wrestling Entertainment has received clearance to resume live shows in Orlando because it is now labeled an “essential business.”
Orange County Mayor Jerry Demings announced Monday that WWE will begin filming shows during the coronavirus pandemic. WWE was initially deemed nonessential as part of Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis’s stay-at-home order, according to ESPN.
Demings said during a news conference that the decision changed after “some conversation” with DeSantis’s office.
“I think initially there was a review that was done. They were not initially deemed an essential business,” he explained. “With some conversation with the governor’s office regarding the governor’s order, they were deemed an essential business. So therefore they were allowed to remain open.”
A spokesman with the governor’s office directed the Washington Examiner to a memo from Thursday that expanded the list of essential services to include “employees at a professional sports and media production with a national audience — including any athletes, entertainers, production team, executive team, media team and any others necessary to facilitate including services supporting such production — only if the location is closed to the general public.”
The spokesman said the services were added because they are “critical to Florida’s economy.”
“It is important to note that professional sports activities may only be considered essential if the event location is closed to the general public,” he added.
The new live shows will be held without a studio audience, the WWE said in a statement.
“We believe it is now more important than ever to provide people with a diversion from these hard times,” the statement said. The company said it would produce the shows in “a closed set with only essential personnel in attendance.”
“As a brand that has been woven into the fabric of society, WWE and its Superstars bring families together and deliver a sense of hope, determination and perseverance,” the company added.
