10 Reasons WWE Was Great In 2016
3. Brand Split
The USA network made WWE split up the rosters into exclusivity in July due to sinking SmackDown ratings on Thursdays. Now live on Tuesdays, SD Live has seen a steady audience increase and the new rosters and formats have been successful for the most part in showcasing multiple talents that previously would not have been featured.
There are faults within the new split as Raw is still too long of a show and crossover acts are already happening (we are looking at you Survivor Series "go home" Raw). But, for the most part, the Brand Split has been a positive way to give talent a chance to be on TV. At the end of the day, TV is the lifeblood of your organization because without it, the promotion is worthless. While WWE could showcase some superstars better, it has been nice to see AJ Styles and Kevin Owens get top titles that they previously may not have gotten.
In addition, we have seen that Raw and SmackDown Live can be categorized as on the same level this time around due to the live nature of the latter. In the previous split, SD was taped and on local affiliate UPN stations. The playing field is now more equalized, more talent have chances to showcase themselves, and there are now more opportunities to create compelling stories that attract and retain audiences uniquely to both shows. This is a work in progress but most definitely a step in the right direction.