WWE to end branded house shows?

[Troy]

WWE is looking at ideas to eliminate their house shows being branded "Raw" and "Smackdown" tours and giving the tours official names.

The company is currently taking feedback from fans on their mailing list on the idea as well as potential titles for future house show events.

Moving away from branded tours would allow the company more freedom to split the house show lineups between the Raw and Smackdown rosters, as opposed to having everyone from one TV show on one specific loop.
The idea follows the TV product of the last year, which has quietly reverted back to major stars from each roster appearing on most of, if not all, the major TV shows produced by the company. It would also allow for major names to be spread over house shows taking place at the same time.

Makes sense to finally get rid of the branded house shows now that the rosters are pretty much combined. They could make sure that there is a better mix of talent on house shows rather than a loaded up RAW brand each house show loop. This will also go a long way to ensuring that they can run two separate house show loops each week even with a weakened roster since they top level talent that actually draws is spread evenly between shows. Will also allow WWE to test out some new feuds on the road as well and see what the crowd reaction is like.

 

[Gimmick]

Good to hear. I was at a Smackdown house show last year and the line-up was very thin, this will be a good chance for them to make both shows equally strong and enable them to mix it up a bit as well.

Let's hope they manage this correctly and specifically advertise the right people for the show. I'd hate to buy a ticket and find out that half the people were falsely advertised.

 

[Mick Donalds]

Good! Now maybe I can actually go to Smackdown shows.

From a business standpoint, it makes sense as well.

 

[SAIYANS]

They will just split the roster up between two sides anyhow. Brands are all jumbled so no biggy

 

[Troy]

Good to hear. I was at a Smackdown house show last year and the line-up was very thin, this will be a good chance for them to make both shows equally strong and enable them to mix it up a bit as well.

Let's hope they manage this correctly and specifically advertise the right people for the show. I'd hate to buy a ticket and find out that half the people were falsely advertised.

That will definitely be key for WWE going forward that the local advertisers promote the right people and don't try to trick people into believing that Punk and Cena will be appearing everywhere. I can see it happening early on where the wrong people are advertised for shows.

 

[We Are Legion]

It's a start, of course getting rid of the brand split altogether would be a much better idea, but whatever. A step in the right direction I suppose.

 

[Troy]

Pretty sure that they have already gotten rid of the brand split completely, any wrestler is able to appear on both shows. There are no brand restrictions anymore.

 

[Slim]

Yeah the brand split has been gone for too long so why they would still have "brand split house shows" is pretty stupid.

 

[Chris]

The brand split is still "technically" in place. For instance, on Smackdown when Dolph Ziggler makes his entrance there's a "Raw" nameplate because he's still a Raw superstar, and on their mobile app, you can view the Raw roster and Smackdown roster separately, but in all actuality the only reason the brands are still there is for house shows because it makes it easier on WWE to have a certain group tour here and a certain group there. Once they end, then the brand extension will finally be all the way dead.

 

[PHX]

This would just make what has already happened official which is that there isn't a brand split. I like the brand split better but only when it isn't half assed like they have been doing.

 

[SAIYANS]

The will still have two separate house show tour rosters though its stupid not too. They can just split the names better for ticket sales than using a specific SD or raw roster under the guise of wwe live