This past weekend was possibly the most “branded” show in WrestleMania history, and WWE needs to rethink its sponsor’s presentation. The show was a huge hit, but the ads were still a talking point. Many fans don’t love the branded matches, and they especially don’t enjoy the PRIME Center ring logo.
Change is not always bad, though, and adding sponsorship isn’t inherently bad just for being different. There are non-revenue-based reasons ads can help WWE, and money is always a factor. However, fans have expressed real issues about the presentation.
Of course, the money is too alluring for a big business like TKO Holdings and WWE to ignore. It would be unfair to expect WWe to pass up revenue for online sentiment. Likewise, ad money could keep roster spots safer for new talent still looking to break out.
The new TKO group has much more experience in this area, but that may not be helpful. Yes, UFC does a lot of advertising, and much of it could work in WWE. Other aspects of their plan will not. Instead of powering through the complaints, WWE needs to think outside the box.
It may be worth it for WWE to revisit the pros and cons of sponsors to inform their future branding.
WWE Sponsors can Portray Legitimacy
Apart from the profit-generating potential, ads add something to the overall presentation of a significant WWE premium live event.
Authentic stadiums and professional sports programming have advertisements all over the place. There is a nostalgia for seeing local and national advertising signs on a baseball stadium’s scoreboard and back walls.
Basketball arenas have the sponsors hanging from the rafters, immediately visible when you take your seats. WWE can often be too protected and manufactured, which makes it feel surreal—seeing ads on the set is a way to plant the WWE Universe firmly in our reality.
Congratulations to the @SlimJim #WrestleMania sweepstakes winner! YEAH! pic.twitter.com/4kRX0Pi36G
— WWE (@WWE) April 8, 2024
When select corporate sponsors surround the ring, it can conjure those same feelings among wrestling fans.
Another way adds can add to the combat sports element of their presentation is that some WWE stars can also wear branded gear. Roman Reigns has his own line of Jordans, and LA Knight has a longstanding partnership with Slim Jim.
Utilizing those relationships to entice sponsors and advertise their brands on TV with WWE superstars would also not distract them from the action. Instead, it will make the talent feel more like professional athletes in a way. The branding could add legitimacy, but it comes with a few pitfalls WWE still needs to prove they can avoid.
A lot of Logos Are Designed to Capture Attention
Any marketing team will tell you that logos are supposed to be memorable. In commercials or billboards, a logo is supposed to draw your attention, build brand awareness, and generate sales. In a television show, the performers are considered to be the main attraction.
Running too many ads on a TV show while the action is going no less is counterproductive.
Two forces, both meant to draw your attention, competing is never good. Also, some brands carry an immediate reaction, positive or negative. In an emotional program like professional wrestling, you want the story to make people feel a certain way, not the logos. Likewise, a strong brand could pull people out of your narrative and into one about your business dealings on social media.
The biggest culprit of this was the PRIME logo in the ring. It was impossible to ignore; all of the action had PRIME at the center. It is also a brand that has its detractors online outside and inside the wrestling fandom. Most of the negative discourse about branded matches falls into one of those criticisms.
The brand itself, like Prime, needs to be fixed. Or, the brand is too centralized, such as Center Ring PRIME or the Mountain Dew Pitch Black Match. Graphics and ad reads are one thing, but centering the action on your corporate partners will always be met with disdain. W
WE has missed this lesson more than a few times, but they can fix it going forward to keep the revenue while removing the negative feedback.
Rethink, Don’t Remove, its Distracting Sponsorship Presentation
The consensus has been passed by fans online and WWE needs to rethink its sponsors going forward. WWE needs to rethink its sponsors specifically to ensure that its own brand isn’t dragged into uncomfortable positions and that the matches remain the focal point, not the commercials.
The stars need to be in the ring, not the sponsors, and the Prime partnership, while historic, was not so in a way WWE should try and replicate.
Despite all of that, much of what WWE does is actually great. As they go on to expand their sponsorship programs, and they will, there are more than a few opportunities for future growth that don’t draw nearly as much adverse reactions from fans online.
We wanted Cody
We got Cody https://t.co/v9rgUe3sYC— Logan Paul (@LoganPaul) April 6, 2024
Sponsoring individual matches, individual stars, and major shows is a great way to improve revenue. The specialized match cards are an easy way to give brands a spot. Also, while it may be unpopular online, the branded barricades and arena screens also work well.
Having that branding along the ringside and commentary adds something to the presentation.
Keeping the brands cohesive with the WWE product is critical, and only premium sponsors should share space with the talent, especially as the company explores branding a WWE superstar.
If WWE can do that and keep the ring, turnbuckles, and apron sparse of corporate sponsorships, it will make the ads a positive revenue driver and not an unsightly distraction.
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