Brand Extension to blame for poor ratings

[Guest Paranoid]

Thanks to Ben Johnson for the following:

 

Ever since WWE launched the "roster split" (or, in WWE terms, 'brand extension') almost anyone asked would say WWE TV has taken a severe turn for the worse. With that said, many look to blame the roster split for the recent ratings problems WWE has been having. In fact, Vince McMahon even admitted its failure at a WWE financial conference a while back. Below are the ratings figures for WWE in a before-and-after type of chart.

 

First WWE Broadcasts Of The Year: RAW (4.9) Smackdown (3.8)

Last Pre-Split WWE Broadcast: RAW (5.4) Smackdown (3.7)

Most Recent WWE Shows: RAW (3.1) Smackdown (3.6)

 

As you can see, the split has hurt the entire company, but more damage has been done to the RAW rating. Like many have said, RAW (especially since Austin's walkout) lacks the talent to attact viewers and has just not been entertaining in a while.

 

 

Personally I have hated the roster split since they first announced it. But there are alot of people who are still saying that the brand extension is a good thing. Well in some ways it is. Like giving talent that would normally not be in the main events a chance to shine. But I guess the numbers don't lie.

[Guest Mulatto Heat]

I thought Smackdown was the one "lacking in star power".

 

Whatever to that.

[Guest bob_barron]

No- that just means RAW sucks ass and no one wants to watch it while SD! has maintained interest

[Guest bps "The Truth" 21]

I've got better #s:

 

Raw rating the night after HHH joined the RAW show: 4.25

 

RAW rating after 4 months of HHH beating everyone: 3.1

[Guest the pinjockey]

Well, how much longer til they merge and Vince gets to get himself off by publicly humiliating Bischoff. And what do you think the odds are that even though SD is the more successful show they bench Heyman in favor of Gerwitz on the booking committee anyway.

[Guest D'Lo White]

I knew Smackdown wasn't dropping as much as Raw. But that is a really big difference. Raw dropped over 2 whole points and Smackdown has basically stayed the same.

 

And Raw has God too.

[Guest Kahran Ramsus]

This is Vince ignoring the problem again. Smackdown has stayed steady (this past week was actually one of the lower rated shows), despite missing Rock, Austin, Hogan, etc. The ratings are down because RAW sucks, not because of the split.

 

I like the split because all the crap is on one show. Ideally, there would be no crap, but if you end the split now, it would infest both shows.

[Guest HartFan86]

And folks....another example why it's never Vince's fault.

 

And SD needs to get on a TV station other than UPN because it should be getting 4.0+ every night.

[Guest bps "The Truth" 21]

You know what's really sad?

 

I wrote a column BEFORE the split for my old place I wrote columns for on how to fix the problem.

 

And it's the same problem that's around today.

 

Too many shitty people that no one cares about and the same people on top.

[ChrisMWaters 0]

Well, I guess this means that we're going to see the end of the brand extension soon.

 

I'd prefer that HHH get a career-ending injury first, THEN they re-merge the rosters...but I doubt that will happen anytime soon.

[Guest snowfan]

This is Vince ignoring the problem again. Smackdown has stayed steady (this past week was actually one of the lower rated shows), despite missing Rock, Austin, Hogan, etc. The ratings are down because RAW sucks, not because of the split.

 

I like the split because all the crap is on one show. Ideally, there would be no crap, but if you end the split now, it would infest both shows.

Yup.

 

You nailed it KR....

 

This is the beginning of the end of HGH's stroke...

[Guest Mulatto Heat]

I agree with Ramsus.

 

I thank the wrestling gods every night that there's a split. I definitely recall the bland shows just before the split, with useless tag matches galore and DQ endings to protect wrestlers' heat. I do *not* want to go back to that, thank you kindly.

[Guest the pinjockey]

I like the split for the crap splitting theory except i wish the rosters were reversed. I wish the good roster and booking committee were on Raw so I would get the top wrestling plus the more energetic feel that I still dont get from SD.

[Guest Youth N Asia]

3.1, it's cause HHH didn't molest any dead girls this week.

 

I just think it's funny seeing how far the ratings can really go.

 

HHH is just not as over as he was when he got hurt. Vince won't believe it. Right before he tore his quad he was over big time...then they brought him back as a face, not as over, then did a predictable heel turn, even less over.

[Guest Paranoid]

This is Vince ignoring the problem again. Smackdown has stayed steady (this past week was actually one of the lower rated shows), despite missing Rock, Austin, Hogan, etc. The ratings are down because RAW sucks, not because of the split.

 

I like the split because all the crap is on one show. Ideally, there would be no crap, but if you end the split now, it would infest both shows.

I have to disagree with that point. I feel that there is crap on both shows right now.

 

SMACKDOWN: I mean I could care less about Knoble and Nidia. And Rey Mysterio, in my opinion is the most overrated wrestler of all time. Edge is played and needs a new gimmick. Plus the Dawn Marie/Torrie feud is wearing on my nerves also.

 

RAW: Well I really don't think I have enough space to list all the crap!

 

But that's just my opinion. Samckdown does have less crap, but it still has it.

[Guest snowfan]

This is Vince ignoring the problem again.  Smackdown has stayed steady (this past week was actually one of the lower rated shows), despite missing Rock, Austin, Hogan, etc.  The ratings are down because RAW sucks, not because of the split.

 

I like the split because all the crap is on one show.  Ideally, there would be no crap, but if you end the split now, it would infest both shows.

I have to disagree with that point. I feel that there is crap on both shows right now.

 

SMACKDOWN: I mean I could care less about Knoble and Nidia. And Rey Mysterio, in my opinion is the most overrated wrestler of all time. Edge is played and needs a new gimmick. Plus the Dawn Marie/Torrie feud is wearing on my nerves also.

 

RAW: Well I really don't think I have enough space to list all the crap!

 

But that's just my opinion. Samckdown does have less crap, but it still has it.

sure it does, but how many shows focus solely on the crap like Raw does...

 

The Trinity's workrate goes a long way to covering up the stench of "SE"...

[Guest HartFan86]

One more thing.....this is why Austin needs to come back. Cause the ratings WILL go up, the product WILL be better, and HHH WILL be out of the booking meetings.

[Guest Paranoid]

One more thing.....this is why Austin needs to come back. Cause the ratings WILL go up, the product WILL be better, and HHH WILL be out of the booking meetings.

WHAT? Austin WHAT? needs to WHAT? comeback!!

 

Yes I agree. Whether it's as a heel or face. I really think that the Two Man Power Trip could save some of HHH's heat right now!

[Guest the pinjockey]

I wish next week wasn't a post PPV show it might actually dip under the 3.0 line otherwise and that would probably be enough to get people in the company really talking.

[Guest Ram]

While I love the roster split, this time next year we'll remember it as well as we do the Invasion.

[Guest Mulatto Heat]

These days it really doesn't matter if a RAW follows a PPV. Several times this year a post-PPV RAW has decreased from the previous week's show.

 

I really would like to see the quarter-hour ratings for this week's RAW, just to see which segments caused dips below the 3.0 mark (did anyone think 3, 2, hell, even a year ago that it would come to this point?). Too bad they haven't done that in over a year.

[Guest subliminal_animal]

God, I hope they don't do away with the split any time soon. The concept is solid, and the whole thing could lead to some big-drawing "interpromotional" match they're built up right and they don't rush 'em.

 

For one, the split keep cahracters and feuds from getting burnt out. Before the split, they always feel the need to have the big feuds progressed on both Raw and Smackdown, which makes sense...but it also sometimes leads to half-hearted turns to just to fill space and sometimes hurt the momentum. I'm noticing it seems easier for the writing crew to build the feuds with only one show a week. It also takes some physical stress off the wrestlers

 

The elevation of lower-card guys is a plus. Tommy Dreamer, Chavo, Eddy and others probably wouldn't be in as good of positions as they're in with the brand extension. Sure, there's still no one new as a main event player except for Lesnar, but hopefully that will change.

 

Vince is an idiot. The brand extension may be hurting the ratings because of lack of starpower, but wrestling's descent into "unhipness" and the writing also has a lot to do with it. And the starpower thing is the writing's fault, anyway. If they wanted to, people like D'Lo and Tajiri and a lot of others could be strong characters that are way over with the crowd. I'm not saying they have to be main-eventers, but people are going to care more if you give all these people personalities. Even Justin Credible (who probably hasn't ever won match) got a gimmick and some promo time once in a while, people might at least care a little about him, even if he keeps losing. Because at least he's a jobber with a character instead of a faceless loser. This wouldn't be hard to do at all, but no one's doing it. Cut a minute of a rambling HHH promo and let Stamboli use it to talk about his upcoming match. If everybody has a good chance given to them to get over, chances are most of them will (to whatever degree, though, is up in the air).

 

Blah, that was all disjointed.

[Guest Youth N Asia]

I like the split.

 

At least I get a solid amount of Tommy Dreamer and Steven Richards time.

 

And you think Chavo would get as much time as he does if HHH was on Raw AND Smackdown

[Guest snowfan]

I like the split.

 

At least I get a solid amount of Tommy Dreamer and Steven Richards time.

 

And you think Chavo would get as much time as he does if HHH was on Raw AND Smackdown

That is why I am hoping the split lasts until HGH has destroyed ALL his credibility...

 

seven months tops...

[ChrisMWaters 0]

I like the split.

 

At least I get a solid amount of Tommy Dreamer and Steven Richards time.

 

And you think Chavo would get as much time as he does if HHH was on Raw AND Smackdown

That is why I am hoping the split lasts until HGH has destroyed ALL his credibility...

 

seven months tops...

At the rate HHH is going?

 

His credibility will be gone before 2002 is over.

[Guest El Satanico]

Vince is totally at blame here.

 

He's the one that oked the idea of sending most of the good talent to Smackdown while leaving Raw with 5 "stars" not counting the cripple HBK.

 

Then he oks making the handful of potential stars on Raw look like total jokes at the hands of HHH.

 

 

The split is a good idea if only Vince wouldn't fuck it up.

 

Smackdown and Raw should've had equal amounts of "hosses" "circus act wrestlers" and actual good wrestlers.

[Guest snowfan]

Vince is totally at blame here.

 

He's the one that oked the idea of sending most of the good talent to Smackdown while leaving Raw with 5 "stars" not counting the cripple HBK.

 

Then he oks making the handful of potential stars on Raw look like total jokes at the hands of HHH.

 

 

The split is a good idea if only Vince wouldn't fuck it up.

 

Smackdown and Raw should've had equal amounts of "hosses" "circus act wrestlers" and actual good wrestlers.

Sorry I respectfully disagree.

 

Part of SD's success forumla is the absence of Hoss domination. Now that UT is gone they had to transplant a true Hoss because Brock is just too athletic to be a genuine JR approved Hoss. Hopefully Vinny will realize that Hossitude is NOT the whole effing show and they will be given no more weight than an unleashed cruiser division.

[Guest TheZsaszHorsemen]

Hopefully Vince either re-draws after after WM, or the BE is done away with. Then they can cut the dead weight and get back on track.

[Guest El Satanico]

Vince is totally at blame here.

 

He's the one that oked the idea of sending most of the good talent to Smackdown while leaving Raw with 5 "stars" not counting the cripple HBK.

 

Then he oks making the handful of potential stars on Raw look like total jokes at the hands of HHH.

 

 

The split is a good idea if only Vince wouldn't fuck it up.

 

Smackdown and Raw should've had equal amounts of "hosses" "circus act wrestlers" and actual good wrestlers.

Sorry I respectfully disagree.

 

Part of SD's success forumla is the absence of Hoss domination. Now that UT is gone they had to transplant a true Hoss because Brock is just too athletic to be a genuine JR approved Hoss. Hopefully Vinny will realize that Hossitude is NOT the whole effing show and they will be given no more weight than an unleashed cruiser division.

Oh I'm not saying i WANTED to see the hosses divided equally. If Vince wanted the split to work well he needed the divide the rosters evenly. That's rather obvious seeing as how Raw is dying while Smackdown is remaining steady.

 

Unless he's testing the waters to see if fans want "sportz entertainment" or wrestling putting all of one type on each show is a big mistake.

[Guest Brian]

This is just more the reason to keep the roster split. The problems on RAW have to be solved; merging the two rosters won't do that. They need to figure out what's working on SmackDown and figure out how to do it with a RAW twist.