Austin 3:16. WWE Network. NXT. Branding is an excellent thing and can make a wrestler or a promotion, growing a product into many different channels. So, why is this on the list of obstacles? The positive impact of branding on the current product is undeniable. The infrastructure is set up so that any buzz can be capitalized on and branded for mass consumption. The problem is they arent waiting for any buzz to generate. In fact, theyre trying to incept us. When the social outcasts, a not-over heel stable, make their way to the ring with several T-shirt designs after only a few weeks of crowd complacency, youre kind of glad you can vote with your wallet and not buy them. But when you waste 20 minutes before the main event of the PPV before Mania with absolute cringe-worthy gags to promote a new network show, we kind of miss the days when on demand meant posting a money order to Silver Vision. Merchandise and original content are awesome but WWE is happy to cut into the core product to peddle their wares in blatant fashion and that is a sure fire way to kill the atmosphere. Wrestling is all about atmosphere.
Eddie is a writer, cinephile, TV fan and wrestling abuse victim from Newcastle. After receiving his film degree in London he returned home to lift boxes in the vein of an 80s montage... It's not as fun as it looks in the films.
