“The Future Is Very Bright”- Triple H Places NXT In The Same League As RAW And SmackDown

WWE recently held its Annual Shareholder Meeting to discuss the company’s strategy and course of action amidst the pandemic. One particular discussion involving Paul Levesque (Triple H) was about NXT, and where it stood among RAW and SmackDown.

Among those present on the call were WWE General Counsel Brian Nurse who opened the call, Chairman & CEO Vince McMahon, Chief Brand Officer Stephanie McMahon, EVP Paul Levesque, Interim CFO Frank A. Riddick III, independent directors, and other executives.

The question on NXT was put forward to Paul Levesque (Triple H). He was asked whether the brand was to be seen as a minor league AAA equivalent or a flagship brand. Levesque shared his thoughts on the topic.

“So I think if you were to look at the NXT brand, it would be both. While it is, as Frank [Riddick] mentioned earlier, a third global brand, along with Raw and SmackDown, and our partners at USA, it is also the place where we make new stars and increase our talent and stars for the future, of both Raw and SmackDown. So that is the pipeline, and that is the — if you wanted to say, ‘the feeder system’, it is that, but it also has become its own third brand,” explains Levesque.

Triple H is proud of NXT’s viewership stability

NXT has been doing exceedingly well during the lockdown period. It has more or less managed to stay in the balance of its viewership ratings compared to RAW and SmackDown. Great feuds couple with fan-favorite Superstars has made the brand stand on its own terms.

“As far as the ratings go, I’m very happy with them, especially in the current circumstances. Everything is going well. We look at the long-term of that, not the short-term of that,” says Levesque. “And the long term is very exciting. We have a lot of stars. There are a lot of hungry young athletes, and the pipeline to bring in more as they continue to train and get better is very exciting. The future is very bright in that regard.

NXT has a boat-load of talent that are set to make their debut on the main roster. It has, however, become so big that many are questioning its position as a feeder of RAW and SmackDown. NXT has essentially become a brand of its own.

Triple H, being one of the pioneers behind NXT’s success, is sure that the brand will only keep growing. He assures, however, that it will not lose its purpose as a haven for young talents who aspire to be WWE Superstars one day.

Source: Virtual Shareholder Meeting, Wrestlenomics