Less than six months into its second life, it seems as though the brand split may already be in jeopardy. CagesideSeats.com speculates that based on internet searches, interest in the single brand pay-per-views is low, and social media scores aren’t making things look any better.
As a result, WWE officials are rumoured to be considering reverting to using both rosters on all shows going forward in 2017.
It would be a dramatic and drastic vote of no confidence to roll back the brand split less than a year into its second existence, but WWE is no longer in a position of complete security in the industry.
While there is nothing in the way of professional wrestling competition, WWE now competes against mainstream entertainment and sports in the quest for viewers, and if the company feels that something isn’t working, it is ended quickly.
The brand split has proved hit and miss since returning to WWE in July of this year. SmackDown Live has gone from strength to strength, evolving from being an almost forgotten B-show to arguably the best main roster show WWE has.
RAW has stagnated, stuck in the old fashioned and outdated WWE style that turns so many off. The split has seen previously ignored stars get more of a spotlight, while others have continued to be ignored. Watch the first round of the draft:
There are many reasons as to why interest in the brand-exclusive shows is low, with one possibility being the age and attention of WWE’s target audience. The original brand split worked because WWE was aiming it towards an older audience, who understood the idea of competition between two brands and would be willing to tune into two different products under the same umbrella.
Nowadays WWE is a PG product whose target audience must be confused as to why their favourites are only on one show per week; an audience who view RAW and SmackDown Live as two sides of the same WWE coin, as opposed to hypothetical opponents.
Despite this, it would be a great shame if the brand split was abandoned so early. The intrigue it has provided has been a welcome addition to WWE’s output, and already the big pay-per-views feel like a special show as opposed to just another special event.
Rather than seeing the same matches over and over, the split has freshened up a previously stale WWE landscape. Here’s hoping that Cagesideseats.com’s rumour is exactly that, just a rumour.
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