5 Reasons why WWE has started Superstar trades between brands

On the latest edition of WWE SmackDown, veteran announcer Michael Cole announced that AJ Styles has officially been traded to the Blue brand. This came as quite a surprise, as it was a change from last week's announcement, stating that AJ Styles is allowed to appear on SmackDown because of the new "Brand to Brand Invitational" rule, that would allow Superstars to appear on other brands on an occasional basis.

It was also made clear that Styles' arrival on SmackDown will lead to the blue show's Superstars being traded to WWE RAW, but the number hasn't been mentioned. Styles was a part of SmackDown for years on end, before he was moved to RAW last year, as a part of the Superstar Shakeup. In the following slideshow, we will take a look at 5 possible reasons why WWE has started Superstar trades between brands.

#5 To boost ratings

We are way past the era when WWE used to bag incredible rating numbers every week. The ratings have been on a downward spiral with each passing year, and the coronavirus outbreak has only worsened the situation. The outbreak has forced WWE to host its weekly shows, as well as PPVs, at the Performance Center without a live audience.

The ratings have taken a severe blow ever since, with many fans not wanting to watch shows in such a manner. WWE seems to have come up with the idea of these trades to spike viewer interest in its weekly shows. Only time will tell whether WWE succeeds in moving the rating needle with this move. With a significant number of fans simply refusing to watch shows on their TVs without the live crowd experience, one can only hope that this move piques the interest of at least some of those fans.