The latest rumors that are coming about this week concern the impending brand extension. Even though it is set to be in motion next month, little is known about the details and plans. Thus, all fans can do right now is speculate and hang on to every rumor until it’s announced.
The latest rumor running wild is there will be supposedly two brand PPVs a month to supplement each brand and their storylines.
Now with the last brand extension, WWE never tried this. At first the company alternated the brand PPVs. That allowed each show (Raw and SmackDown) time to build their stars and storylines. Then, after only sharing the big four PPVs, both of the brands went on to produce joint PPVs.
That leads to this slideshow. Fourteen years after the first brand extension, we are here once again. This time, everything is completely different. WWE has a huge and valued talent pool to pick from, including NXT. The company is struggling with keeping viewers interested with the current product, and still is in desperate need of change though it’s getting there slowly but surely.
Would the new brand extension help WWE this time around? Or will fans grow tired of the brand extension? Here are five pros and cons to the possibility of two brand specials each month.
#5 Pro – Both programs are on USA and specials will be on the WWE Network
When the first brand extension took place, the struggle was too real for those who diligently and faithfully kept up with WWE. Back in the day, PPVs ran for as much as $44.99 or more. A lot of us dished out the money every month to keep up with SmackDown too, which was on the CW Network or My Network TV.
At the time, both channels had limited availability, so if you wanted to see your favorite on SmackDown, you dished out the money to watch him or her in action.
There was only so much you could do with dirtsheets and Raw recaps. There were no social media platforms back then either.
Today SmackDown can be accessed by a large audience via the SyFy network, and will move to USA with the brand extension in addition to going live. Also, we now have the WWE Network, which is affordable and eliminates the struggle that us older folk all know too well.
Not only is it much more affordable, it’s also on demand for those who can’t watch it when it airs live. It’s a win-win situation.
#4 Con – It will be over, but not in a good way
With over seven hours of TV programming a week, plus the WWE Network, all the content may overwhelm fans when the brand extension takes place per say. They may feel the product is over saturated and definitely overkill.
While fans will have more of a choice to use their time, not many will be committing so many hours of their time to watch everything, especially when NXT does their Takeover specials. However, the silver lining in this is that…
#3 Pro – More exposure and match time for Superstars
If anything else stars such as Rusev, Cesaro, and even Apollo Crews could extremely benefit from the brand extension and the special for the brand. They will not be as crunched for time, and may not have to fight as hard for a spot on TV with separate brands working on their own roster.
There is more commitment here to build their character and their story. This will also lead to more match time, which equals experience and the chance to get better. This would be a plus for both Superstars and fans.
#2 Con – WWE Creative concerns
In recent years, WWE Creative has received much scrutiny and criticism. The work they do that is presented on TV is rather lackluster and subpar.
They do hit a home run once in a blue moon, but their track record of creating compelling stories doesn’t bode too well for them. Unless the company does a shakeup in their writing team, my hopes aren’t too high on this one. But we shall see.
Stranger things have happened, right?
#1 Pro – Potentially beneficial overall for the company
WWE is already moving in the right direction with the little information we do know.
SmackDown is going live for the first time in its seventeen-year history and is heading to the USA network.
More Superstars will get much needed time and exposure by having their own PPV to culminate their stories.
The brand extension could not only boost the Superstars, but boost sales on the WWE Network if the company manages to win fans’ interest. If WWE is really serious about shaking things up, they will clean up their act and produce better material, and make sure this new WWE era is promising and will succeed in the long run.
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