5 times WWE shows were rebranded

Visually for WWE programming, things tend to change every few years to keep things fresh. Times and technology change, allowing the WWE to enhance their product.

On occasion, the company has been known to do a full re-brand of their programming. This can involve brand new sets, looks, and concepts.

That being said, in no particular order, let's take a look at five times WWE shows were rebranded.

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#5 WWE Raw and SmackDown split rosters for the first time in 2002

Following WWE's purchase of WCW, the company acquired several talents. It was the largest roster the WWE ever had. To combat this, the company decided to hold Draft to split their roster across two shows, RAW and SmackDown. Each show would have its roster and essentially be an in-house war between the two.

The mammoth rebrand saw RAW and SmackDown receiving their own new sets, pay-per-views, and assigned tours. It was nothing like we had ever seen before in WWE programming. It would essentially divide fans initially to follow their favorite show, whether it be the red brand or the blue brand.

Speaking on an episode of his Something To Wrestle With podcast, Bruce Prichard discussed the 2002 Draft and the in-house competition:

"Vince McMahon presented the idea of creating our own competition and separating the brands. In Vince's head, Vince saw it as RAW was one brand, SmackDown was the other brand and never shall the two cross. Vince McMahon was, like, they are separate brands and they will remain separate, but WrestleMania will have representation from both, but they wouldn't be against one another." Bruce Prichard said. (h/t Give Me Sport)

The WWE Draft of 2002 essentially set the stage for the WWE we see today. The Draft takes place every year, and the rosters are split between RAW and SmackDown, with also the inclusion of NXT.

Brand loyalty isn't as strong as it was during the Ruthless Aggression era. The WWE Universe does tend to follow both shows, as every pay-per-view now features both brands' superstars in action. Overall, it was a fantastic concept from the brain of Vince McMahon that changed the game for WWE in 2002.

#4 WWE rebranded the initial NXT concept

On the February 2nd, 2010 episode of ECW on SyFy, WWE Chairman Vince McMahon announced that ECW would be no more. Instead, it would be replaced with a brand new show called NXT which he described as "the next evolution of WWE; the next evolution of television history."

In the end, the new concept turned out to be a game-show-styled program. NXT rookies were paired with WWE superstars to compete in challenges each week. The show lasted until 2012 and was revamped into something more historic.

NXT became its own weekly episodic wrestling show filmed at Full Sail University. Under the direction of Triple H, NXT grew bigger and bigger and began to sell out large arenas for their TakeOver pay-per-view events. It ushered in a new era for NXT which many of the WWE Universe will fondly remember.

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#3 WWE rebranded SmackDown to Friday Night SmackDown

SmackDown debuted in 1999 and was placed in a Thursday night timeslot for six years. The show garnered great ratings and WWE decided to move SmackDown to a brand new night. The program was renamed Friday Night SmackDown. The show was still taped on a Tuesday night with it airing that Friday on tape delay.

It was a shrewd move for WWE, who still drew great ratings and became one of the most popular watched shows on a Friday night. The rebrand saw great emphasis on WWE using the Friday Night name, with graphics and promotions all changing.

#2 WWE rebrands Monday Night RAW to the RAW SuperShow

In August 2011, WWE made a big change that would affect WWE programming moving forward. The company announced that RAW and SmackDown superstars would be able to compete on either show, ultimately dropping the brand split.

It allowed WWE to open with superstars competing on any show. The Monday Night RAW was dropped and dubbed the RAW SuperShow through promotional graphics and promotions on air. The name lasted just under a year, as another rebrand happened with RAW going to a three-hour format. The Monday Night RAW name was returned following the move.

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#1 WWE rebrands NXT for a second time to NXT 2.0

NXT had an incredible run between 2012 and 2021. The promotion created a plethora of stars and delivered some five-star storylines and matches. The black-and-gold brand went from hosting shows at a small sound studio at Full Sail University to selling out the Barclays Center. Triple H built something exceptional that was adored by fans around the world.

Most like many eras, the NXT momentum slowed down, and with AEW coming on the scene, the brand faced competition. It was dubbed The Wednesday Night Wars which AEW surpassed NXT in the television ratings. NXT was moved to Tuesday night's but the star power they once had, had moved on to the main roster.

On the September 14th, 2021 episode of NXT, a full re-brand was done with a new logo, a new color scheme, a new approach, and a different direction. So far the refresh has been well-received with many fans intrigued to see how the new NXT will go. It has been reported that, for the first time, Vince McMahon will have a more hands-on approach with the direction of NXT 2.0.