So you all remember at Blizzard Brawl when they dropped the absolute bombshell of the Premier streaming service that was going to host GLCW Blizzard Brawl content? I was able to send Josh Shernoff a few questions about his new streaming service. I didn’t go in-depth because I know he’s extremely busy, I’m just glad we were able to get in touch and get a few good questions in!
For those that aren’t familiar with who Josh was, a quick google search will net you a ton of content about him.
You can also find him on Youtube, Twitter, Facebook, and all other major social media platforms.
Josh Shernoff: One Of The Masterminds Behind Premier Streaming
Josh, thank you so much for the absolute honour of tossing a few questions your way. Let’s dive right into it.
There are a lot of streaming services these days for wrestling. Peacock, Fite, Pro Wrestling TV. What’s going to set premier apart from these other services?
Josh: No disrespect to any other service but what we are building is state of the art. It’s not like anything else out there in this space.
Will there be a premium ad-free version as well as a free ad tier?
Josh: Yes. We have Premier Plus for only $4.99 a month which will give you access to the incredible libraries of content.
We know you’re carrying GLCW, which will include all past Blizzard Brawls but will you also carry other GLCW events and other companies?
Josh: Yes. We are working on adding as much GLCW as we possibly can. We are currently looking through their previous events to see what video footage we have as well as discussing the best way to air their new events.
You obviously have a passion for wrestling, what was the one match that made you go “Wow this is great!” And kindled your love for the sport?
Josh: I’m not sure of a match that initially kindled my love for it because I can’t remember a time I didn’t love pro wrestling as a kid. I can tell you that while I never stopped being a fan, I hadn’t felt any real emotion towards it for years but what re-kindled my love for it was the video package leading up to and the match itself or Cody vs Dustin. I remember watching Dustin walk into the trainer’s room after that match to get patched up and watching wrestler after wrestler just in awe of what he had just done. He and Cody both but man, what a match.
That was one of the most amazing matches I have seen in a long time. I wish I got to ask Dustin about it at Blizzard Brawl, but we were too busy discussing Chupacabras.
When you announced at Blizzard Brawl 2022 that you were launching this network, how long had it been in the works?
Josh: The whole thing came together very quickly. I knew I wanted to do something else. I had my own goals and so did Paul Owen,{Former Digital Director for Fite, April 2021 to October 2022} independent of each other. My brother Fred who is VP of Finance and Business Operations at Premier, he and I have been business partners for years and the whole thing just kind of fell into place. I would say at the time of that announcement it was around about a month at that point that Paul and I were on board. But the thing is, we know what we want. We all share a vision of what we want Premier to be and what we want it to become. So it didn’t take much more than a handful of conversations to get the ball rolling.
I recently read you have been doing content creation and production for 20 years now. Going back 10 of those years, we were still on DVD, and Netflix was about to launch its first original series on streaming only. Did you think then that we would ever be in this Era of streaming online, or how did you see things in 10 years?
I’d love to sit here like some visionary but I think 10 years ago I was just kind of watching things take off. I actually expected things to be a little further along by now if I’m being honest. But 10 years ago I wasn’t in the industry so I didn’t understand why it isn’t as far along as it should be. I think Premier is the first true digital first-minded streaming service that will start to show consumers what other services should be doing.
I will say though that in June of 1999, I promoted my first wrestling event at 15 years old. And Fred had the wild idea that we should air the pre-show on the Internet. We recorded the show because live streaming wasn’t even on our radar as a thing, but we recorded it only to realize that we didn’t actually have any way to implement this idea. But that’s how well my brother has had his finger on the pulse of technology. Then you add Paul into the mix who has spent his entire adult life in the streaming world and actually knows how to do all the things my brother and I believe in. I’m really excited because I feel like now we can make all of these ideas a reality.
What sort of improvements would you like to see on streaming services, such as your own?
Well, I like to think the improvements I want to see will be available on Premiere streaming network! But what I would also like to see and what I promise you will see are constant improvements based on user feedback, based on updated technology, and based on our mindset of never being satisfied. Always moving forward. I think the improvements that matter are the ones our users want to see and we will always do the best we possibly can to make sure we give them what they want.
When I talked to Angelina Love at Blizzard Brawl, we discussed that 5 years ago, we still only had WWE on main TV. There was no real streaming service for the indi scene. Now there’s so much wrestling exposure, it’s fantastic. Five years ago, did you ever think you would be in charge of launching another great streaming platform that showcased independent wrestling?
Short answer, no. 5 years ago I kind of assumed I was finished with wrestling. The idea of being part of the team running a network wasn’t even a dream. I was working on some web shows and Indy films and things of that nature as hobbies. But I was always open. And I think that the best advice I could ever give someone is always keeping yourself open to opportunities and then take said opportunities and making more opportunities for yourself. Stay focused on the road ahead but always keep an eye out for a billboard that might be showing you an off-ramp you never knew existed.
That’s some fantastic advice I will definitely keep in mind!
Finally, going back to Blizzard Brawl, which match did you enjoy the most?
I think the retirement match. Rasche Brown vs. Jarrod Jaxx. There was such raw emotion and plus, as someone who wasn’t able to leave the ring on my own terms, it’s always nice to see someone be able to call their last shot.
From what I heard, that was a fantastic match. Sadly I wasn’t able to catch most of it, so I’ll just have to watch it on Premier when it comes out!
Thank you so much for your time, I really appreciate you taking time out of your schedule to reply to these!
Premier will be debuting very soon, so keep an eye on their Twitter as well as Josh’s! Shoutout to the awesome staff at Premier as well:
Fred Shernoff VP of Business Operations and Finance
Paul Owen President