October 14, 2002 Observer Newsletter: WWE brand extension a flop, more

We are six months in, and the brand extension has been a major business failure.

I want to pretend it’s working. Almost everyone does. The brand extension means more talent is exposed on television and get time to develop angles. It lessens both the overexposure and the dominance of the top performers. In theory, it means more stars are made, there are more jobs, more shows, and it’s better for the future. We’re also seeing two different styles of television, which in theory should satisfy two different types of fans, thus expanding the wrestling audience.

The reality is that hasn’t happened. Maybe it still will given time, but six months in wrestling is a long experiment when the early results look like this. When the brand extension went into effect in March, the true main event television star level talent was Rock, Chris Jericho, HHH, Hulk Hogan, Steve Austin, Undertaker, Kane, Ric Flair, Vince McMahon and Kurt Angle.

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