8 Reasons WWE Is Wrong To Ditch Single-Brand PPVs
Is the company rolling back the brand split already?
It has been less than two years since WWE reinstated the brand split in July 2016, dividing its enormous roster in half and making its superstars exclusive to either Raw or SmackDown Live! This was an exciting move for fans who were nostalgic for the previous divided days of the noughties, brought about by WWE's acquisition of WCW and the subsequently enlarged roster.
The current brand split has faced criticism from fans for the sheer number of pay-per-view events on offer. There have been periods of time where there have been PPV shows every fortnight. In 2017, WWE put on 16 big shows, equivalent to almost one every three weeks, with only four of them featuring performers from both brands. Fans were fatigued and, as a result, the company announced a lighter schedule of PPV shows. The company has now added that all of these shows will be dual-branded, starting after WrestleMania, featuring performers from Mondays and Tuesdays.
The move to dual-branded events marked the first nail in the coffin of the original brand split and it's hard not to feel like the same may well be true this time around. WWE is torpedoing its brand extension with this move and they are making a huge mistake in doing so.
8. Value Of The WWE Network Free Month
One of the big draws of the WWE Network is its 30-day free trial. The announce teams on both shows are consistently handed lengthy scripts promoting the 'free month' on television, geared around the PPV events new subscribers will receive free of charge. During the early days of the brand split, this was a formidable offering, with new subscribers often able to receive as many as three pay-per-views for free.
The number of events has now been decreased and, in the era of dual-branded shows, it is almost certainly staying that way. The free month is therefore considerably less attractive. If new subscribers purchase the network in the 48 hours prior to WrestleMania, they will just about squeeze in access to the subsequent Backlash event but, after that, there's more than a month between just about every show on the calendar.
Hardcore wrestling fans will already be WWE Network subscribers. However, the casual fans the company needs to bring in for the Network to be a financial success will be far more likely to sign up if they believe they are getting more bang for their buck, particularly if they haven't had to part with a buck yet.