Right now both Raw and SmackDown Live have brand exclusive pay-per-views, but it looks like that could be changing sooner rather than later.
An e-mail was recently sent to fans who purchased tickets for the upcoming Backlash event, and the e-mail notes that stars from both brands will be appearing at the show. It’s been reported that the events following Backlash will no longer be brand exclusive, and that an official announcement from WWE is forthcoming.
The Wrestling Observer Newsletter is now reporting that WWE officials are considering another huge change for pay-per-views, as the idea of adding an extra hour to the B shows is being discussed.
The concept would see each pre-show include two matches, with main shows running for four hours. That means each pay-per-view would run for a total of five hours including the pre-show.
The idea is to have both brands promote the pay-per-view events each month, with top stars from Raw and SmackDown Live appearing on the shows. One of the negatives regarding the end of brand exclusive pay-per-views is that middle and lower card talents won’t get as many opportunities to appear on the shows.
It’s been speculated that with champions from both brands now defending their titles at PPV events, there won’t be as many spots for non-title matches, and some title matches could also end up on the pre-shows.
