Bruce Prichard has detailed the reasons behind WWE’s decision to put fewer matches on Premium Live Events.
In recent years, WWE has shortened its PLEs, settling on keeping cards to five matches within three hours in 2025, with exceptions for flagship events like WrestleMania and SummerSlam.
This has led to criticism from fans, with many pointing out that not only are there fewer matches than in previous years, but that much of the event time is taken up by commercials, recaps, and backstage segments.
On the latest edition of Something To Wrestle, WWE executive Bruce Prichard explained his belief that back in the days of longer cards, people would forget much of what happened on the shows.
“I go back in time; ten matches on a card is hard to watch. When you look at the presentation and you put so many things in a ten match card, at the end of the night, what do you remember? You’re most likely going to remember the main event, but there may have been an angle in the third match and a hell of a match, but you have forgotten because you have seen so much other shit. Good, bad, or indifferent. I think less is more.
Bruce Prichard Says Streaming Has Changed The PLE Model
Bruce Prichard also discussed how the move to streaming has changed things when it comes to PLEs. He argued that there is no need to try to get more wrestlers on the card anymore as their pay isn’t based on pay-per-view buys.
“Sometimes you have to battle that demon of, ‘We have to get more people on this.’ The PLE streaming aspect of the business has changed that completely. Talent is not paid on pay-per-view buys. There is no time allotment. They don’t really want more than three (hours). It’s a different time and a different way people consume.
Prichard also thinks that stars don’t need to have their ‘WrestleMania moment’ as they could be in an equally valuable spot on another show.
“‘I need my WrestleMania moment.’ You have a moment next month in the main event. ‘I want to be on WrestleMania.’ Where? It’s going to get lost here and we’re doing this here. There is a lot more territory and avenues.
“Plus, you’re doing television every week. Television is just as valuable as the PLEs with rights fees. To be on television to a huge number of people versus PLEs, that has changed. Every time you’re on screen is valuable.”
Recently, WWE SmackDown was extended back to being a three-hour show. It has now been reported that this could be part of a wider strategy that will see the blue brand run three-hour shows for part of the year and revert to two hours several months later.
H/T to Fightful for the above transcription
