Another Major Change Expected for WWE PPVs Moving Forward

WWE looks poised to make another major change to the way they present PPV events.

A couple of days ago, it was revealed that WWE is set to move back to having all PPV events co-branded, rather than just the "big four" PPV events (WrestleMania, Royal Rumble, Survivor Series, and SummerSlam). The move will begin with Backlash in May. This was revealed when the location for Backlash sent out an email to ticket holders to note that the show which was formerly advertised to feature only RAW stars would now also feature SmackDown stars. Dave Meltzer confirmed the change in this week's Wrestling Observer Newsletter.

However, that's not the only change coming this year. According to Meltzer, there is also belief in WWE that the non-big four shows are going to be extended by one hour. This would effectively make all WWE PPV events four hours in length (plus a one hour kickoff show for the non-big four shows and still two hours for the big four events).

The reason for this will be the fact that with both brands now represented on every show, they will need more time to feature all of the talent. Even with that extra hour, many of the mid card talent that currently are able to make the PPVs with the brand-only shows will be relegated to the kickoff show or off the card entirely.

When you're trying to fit a lot into one broadcast, the move makes sense. Then again, one of the biggest complaints among WWE fans is that the shows are too long and this will only make that issue worse. It's also at odds with Vince McMahon himself, who proclaimed at his press conference in announcing the return of the XFL that watching events longer than two hours can be laborious.

Additionally, WWE will likely be moving back to a schedule that features 12 PPV events in a calendar year, one per month. This year there are 14 events scheduled and there were 16 in 2017. The idea in expanding initially was that with more shows they could attract more WWE Network subscribers.

Though the subscriber count for the streaming service has increased, it hasn't to a level that would warrant the expenses of running more PPV shows. The biggest gain has been the live gate (ticket sales). Even so, with all shows moving back to the co-branded model, one PPV a month will be more than enough. Especially with all of them now expected to run four hours in length.