WWE Studios Signs Exclusive Partnership With Walmart

The following press release was sent out on Tuesday morning:

WWE® Studios and Vivendi Entertainment Sign Exclusive Deal with Walmart

WWE® and Vivendi Entertainment announced today they are extending their relationship and as part of the deal, Walmart will be the exclusive retailer for WWE Studios’ films. Vivendi Entertainment will continue to be WWE’s North American retail and rental distribution partner.

This exclusive deal will cover WWE Studios’ next five theatrical releases and will run through 2012. The partnership gives Walmart, Sam’s Club and Walmart.com the exclusive right to sell DVD and Blu-ray versions of the films for the first 90 days of release. The Chaperone” starring WWE Superstar Paul “Triple H” Levesque, Ariel Winter (“Modern Family”) and Kevin Corrigan (“American Gangster”), which was just released, is the first film of the deal.

“We’re delighted to be extending our relationship with the WWE and offering fans the renowned entertainment which the company has come to represent,” stated Mitch Budin, Executive VP & General Manager of Vivendi Entertainment. “We look forward to continuing to help WWE and Walmart grow their brand presence in the home media market through such innovative deals.”

“WWE is thrilled to further its relationships with Vivendi and Walmart with this exclusive deal,” said Jim Connelly, SVP, Consumer Products, WWE. “With the combination of Walmart’s retail strength, Vivendi’s distribution rights, and WWE Studios’ family-friendly movies, consumers and families across America will have greater access to quality at-home entertainment.”

As part of the partnership, Walmart will be integrated into WWE’s multi-million dollar marketing campaign for each retail release across all WWE platforms. The partnership comes on the heels of the successful release plan and performance of “Legendary,” starring Patricia Clarkson, Danny Glover and WWE Superstar John Cena, which was exclusively available at Walmart and distributed through Vivendi last fall.