4 reasons why WWE is creating a new brand

WWE has had an incredible last few years. Ever since Triple H took over the creative direction of the company, business has been absolutely booming. Much of that is thanks to The Game himself, but also the team he has put together.

Currently, World Wrestling Entertainment has three main brands RAW, SmackDown, and NXT, although the latter also serves as developmental. The company also produces Main Event, Speed, and soon, LFG, which provides more opportunities for performers.

In big news, a fourth brand is apparently on the way. According to reports, EVOLVE, once an indie promotion, is set to return under the World Wrestling Entertainment banner. It might even be called NXT EVOLVE.

Gable Sapolsky, a mentee of Paul Heyman and the former head booker of Ring of Honor, EVOLVE Wrestling, and Dragon Gate USA is allegedly set to lead the brand, but why is it being made?

This article will tackle several reasons why Triple H and the sports entertainment giant's decision-makers have decided to create this new show.

Below are four reasons why WWE is creating a new brand.

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#4. To develop talent for RAW, SmackDown, and NXT's future

Professional wrestling is a talent-driven industry. Obviously, fans are the most important part of pro wrestling, as without an audience, there is no income. However, the key part of putting on high-quality shows for WWE are the talented performers who make up the RAW, SmackDown, and NXT cards.

Talent isn't just created out of thin air, however. WWE has the Performance Center to help create stars, plus they sign talent from the indies, but all of these wrestlers need reps to practice, improve and learn the craft.

NXT EVOLVE is likely being created to help give talent those reps and develop more performers for the big three brands. Who knows, some veterans might also be included to help the younger wrestlers get even more ready to join the big three brands.

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#3. EVOLVE might be returning to fill the void of NXT Level-Up

There was a time when WWE seemed to be in a great spot when it came to recruiting new talent. The company had a good relationship with numerous indies, especially those under the WWN banner, but more importantly, they had several outlets to create and develop stars with NXT, NXT UK, and 205 Live.

Unfortunately, the latter two no longer exist, which means WWE can't just pluck talent from there now. NXT Level Up was made to try to fill the void, and while the show did a decent job developing talent, it has been canceled in favor of the LFG show coming to A&E.

EVOLVE may have gotten the green light because Level Up is now canceled. If that show isn't there to help stars, Triple H likely knows there has to be a replacement. EVOLVE taking the spot just makes sense, especially if LFG is more reality-based as opposed to wrestling-centric.

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#2. The new brand will make use of the WWE ID performers

WWE ID is a new program that was introduced by Triple H and World Wrestling Entertainment last year. The program is similar to the NIL system, except this specifically targets independent pro wrestlers.

Some interesting names have been linked to the program, including former WWE star Timothy Thatcher, the talented Kylie Rae, Zayda Steel, and Ricky Smokes, among others. For now, these stars don't have full-time deals, but instead develop on the indie scene.

Triple H and Gabe Sapolsky may have decided that in addition to wrestling on the indies, NXT EVOLVE could be an opportunity to showcase these performers. It would give them a spotlight and allow for them to develop more closely with World Wrestling Entertainment.

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#1. The show could provide new content for Netflix

WWE and Netflix reached a monumental deal last year. The Sports Entertainment juggernaut is moving Monday Night RAW to the over-the-top streaming service domestically, with the service being home to most of the company's programming internationally.

There is a chance that EVOLVE being brought back is related to Netflix's deal with WWE. The streaming platform may want new content beyond just the big shows fans know and watch every week.

With brands like NXT UK and 205 Live not around and NXT Europe still on ice, EVOLVE could be the first of potentially several new shows on the platform. For now, of course, that is just speculation, but EVOLVE could be the start of a wave of new programming that could be part of the deal between Netflix and World Wrestling Entertainment.