WWE NXT has been one of the success stories of 2015, with the peak being SummerSlam weekend when the brand sold out Brooklyn's Barclays Center and had a match of the year contender with Sasha Banks versus Bayley. Long before that, fans had been singing NXT's praises, but that was the weekend when commercial viability really arrived. Not long afterwards, an international tour of the UK was announced, and it felt as if the brand really had made it. But scratch below the surface, and there are a range of problems that fans don't want to admit. People are blinded by fandom of NXT's refreshing style and the way it has redefined women's wrestling. But far from being the future of WWE, is it in fact headed for a crash?
11. High Costs For Limited Returns
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NXT did good business with the Brooklyn special, but you could make the argument that was off the back of SummerSlam. They also look set to do good business on the UK tour, but are these examples the exceptions rather than the standard? NXT mostly runs in very small set-ups, with high production costs. The regular fanbase at shows is a few hundred people, sometimes without paying. By the time you factor in the cost of setting up the crew, lighting, staging and other expenses of a show, NXT isn't really that much of a business sensation. It doesn't have a TV deal and doesn't do large crowds. You've also got the wrestler costs and performance center costs. In the future it may pay off if an Austin is brought through, but right now NXT's big expenses don't really look to have a great return for WWE.