10 Ways To Make WWE's Brand Split 2016 A Success
Maybe don't screw things up this time, eh?
WWE's announcement of the returning brand extension continues to be a major talking point and, just over a month to go before the draft on the July 11 episode of Raw, fans are torn.
Just like Alberto Del Rio and Paige's relationship, the brand split is a little bit weird and somewhat devisive, but it's going to happen and there's nothing you can do to stop it.
Whether you're in the camp of those who believe the split will reinvigorate WWE or those who think this is the first stage of the Apocalypse, it must be executed to perfection. It's a rather risky call for WWE to return to a format that was failing just five years ago.
The move is made all the more dangerous with WWE's Raw ratings not exactly where it would like them to be. Bumping SmackDown up to what would essentially be a rival program could either separate WWE's viewership into two - as was common during the original brand extension - or draw fans back to the waning blue brand.
While there is no formula for success, WWE can use its experiences from the original split to avoid similar pitfalls that will no doubt be encountered along the way.
These are 10 ways WWE can make the brand extension work.
10. Cut Raw To Two Hours
This one is a little bit obvious, but deserves to be covered nonetheless. Splitting the roster into two and having one half compete on a three-hour show while the others compete for two hours doesn't work. If the brand extension doesn't provide both brands with the same tools from the get-go, it will already be a failed endeavour.
WWE has openly discussed its disappointment in Raw's ratings since changing to a three-hour format. As much as WWE's creative team gets criticised, creating three hours of live television is a difficult task that often results in disjointed storytelling. Not to mention that sitting down for three hours on a Monday night isn't exactly ideal for fans with jobs, school and families - basically WWE's target audience.
The alternative that has been thrown around on social media is to extend SmackDown to three hours, but it's hard enough for fans who happen to miss a week of WWE to catch up as it is. With Raw going for three hours, SmackDown for two and NXT for one, that's six hours of content each week, and that doesn't even cover pay-per-views and WWE Network shows and specials.
Cutting Raw to two hours would make viewing WWE programming significantly easier for fans and place both the Raw and SmackDown brands on a level playing field.