10 Ways WrestleMania 36 Will Shape WWE’s Future

4. Declining Audiences

Raw and SmackDown's average viewership has trended downwards since transitioning to empty buildings. Predictions that content-hungry, stay-at-home viewers would tune in in greater numbers were wide of the mark and this week's Raw number was particularly troubling, with the show pulling under 2 million for a WrestleMania go-home episode - a decline of 700,000 on the previous year.

It's reasonable to assume that some of the viewers who have abandoned these shows will return once everything gets back to normal. The format is the biggest enthusiasm-killer and people are eager for things to go back to the way they were, though nothing is guaranteed here. These are unchartered waters. Again, it's a fair assumption, but nobody can guarantee these lapsed viewers are going to come back weeks (months, even) down the line.

Such a dent could prove harmful to a company that has lost half its audience since 2014. WWE is good at many things, but recapturing lost fans isn't one of them, meaning everyone who matters at Titan Towers likely has their fingers crossed at the moment.