3 Reasons why WWE needs to convert back to the TV-14 rating
WWE is presently in the middle of one of the worst periods they have ever been in. This is evident in the declining viewership for both Raw and Smackdown. Both shows have reportedly been suffering all-time low ratings ever since WrestleMania 35. While some of that problem can be attributed to there being NBA games or NFL games on at the same time, this isn't the main reason. The problem is the fact that many people view the WWE product as stale.
The structure of how the show is produced is usually the same every week. Gone are the days when WWE had that unpredictability about it. Many of us can see that there is no fire or passion in the storytelling. The product has no edginess to it now or the wow factor. It has become so convoluted and watered down.
The PG rating is the biggest reason why WWE has no spark anymore. WWE may be a publicly traded company, but if the ratings don't change for the better, TV networks could pull their shows off the air. The PG rating is in place to make WWE's programming family friendly. However, it isn't helping the company draw in viewers.
In this article, we will look at the 3 reasons why WWE needs to drop the PG rating and convert back to TV-14. Leave your thoughts in the comment section.
#3 The current product is too stifled
We see on a regular basis how repetitive WWE storylines are. There are many things that happen which goes unexplained to the viewers, such as matches that have no substance or meaning. Having Lars Sullivan destroy random superstars is a classic example of this. Why would he attack guys like R-Truth, Matt Hardy and Lucha House Party?
Not only is there no logical sense in certain aspects of storylines, but it seems like many Superstars are still getting overlooked. They are placed in meaningless matches on TV simply to fill in the 3-hour air-time. It clearly shows that WWE simply does not have enough storylines written to fill an entire episode of Raw. It is stifling the product by not giving us a reason to care for these matches that take place.
WWE is limited by what content they can produce. This is why many storylines are repetitive and the storylines fall flat at various times. The amount of restrictions that TV Networks have placed on WWE is absolutely absurd. It is stifling WWE because Superstars do not have that fire in their own body of work. The company won't push the boundaries either, which makes it full.
Due to there being zero edginess in the product, it is proving to be detrimental to the company. Adding edgier storylines to the product will bring back the drive for many Superstars. It will open up a door of exciting and potential storyline ideas for WWE and won't limit them. After all, there are only so many times that you can present a basic superstar versus authority feud.
A fresh set of storylines needs to be uncovered and having the TV-PG rating changed will allow WWE more room to produce this. As it stands, the PG demographic only can offer certain storylines that are acceptable for TV. It virtually leaves WWE in a bad position with AEW starting to heat up.