5 Things WWE Subtly told us in 2021: Possibly bad news for part-time legends, New requirement for superstars to get pushed revealed

#2. "Free television" is more important to WWE than pay-per-views

For the last few decades in WWE history, the nature of programming has seen free television used to build up feuds, and pay-per-views used to have big, must-see matches.

However, things have changed. While pay-per-views like WrestleMania and SummerSlam will always have the biggest matches, the reality is that RAW and SmackDown provide far more revenue.

Many fans are puzzled when big matches these days are booked for RAW or SmackDown, stating that it doesn't make sense to give it away on free TV. That's where they're wrong. Let's look at one example from this year. The WWE Championship only changed hands in one pay-per-view - Elimination Chamber. Even then, The Miz's title reign was cut short when he lost it to Bobby Lashley on RAW eight days later.

Nearly seven months later, Big E cashed in his Money in the Bank briefcase on RAW to become the new WWE Champion. While Peacock is paying the company a reportedly handsome fee of $1 billion for five years, the overall broadcasting revenue from different TV networks worldwide means that RAW and SmackDown remain the more valuable products.

Don't be surprised to see the big moments take place on free TV more than pay-per-views since WWE needs to incentivize networks to give them bigger and better broadcast deals.