Professional wrestling, a simulated sport and performing art, is a popular form of entertainment in North America, Latin America, Europe, and Japan. Beginning in small, unorganized groups in the 1880s, wrestling's popularity boomed when independent enthusiasts unified and their media outlets grew in number. Professional wrestling became an international phenomenon in the 1980s with the expansion of the World Wrestling Federation. Throughout the 1990s, professional wrestling achieved highs in both viewership and financial success during a time of fierce competition among competing promotions, such as World Wrestling Federation, World Championship Wrestling and Extreme Championship Wrestling.