WWE Executive Director Bruce Prichard has explained the company\’s philosophy behind limiting match counts on Premium Live Events, stating that \”ten matches on a card is hard to watch.\”
In 2025, WWE noticeably shifted its approach to Premium Live Events by producing shorter shows with fewer matches on the card. The change reflected a growing emphasis on quality over quantity, allowing matches more time to breathe and storylines to develop with greater focus. Rather than crowding events with filler bouts, WWE curated lineups that highlighted top stars and key rivalries, creating a more streamlined viewing experience. The move also aligned with evolving fan preferences for tighter runtimes and stronger pacing, while preserving the big-match feel that defines major WWE productions.
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Speaking on his Something To Wrestle podcast, Prichard broke down why WWE has moved away from stacking PLEs with lengthy cards in the streaming era.
\”When you look at 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 and the last match you saw,\” Prichard said.
\”There may have been a big angle in the third match and a hell of a match, but you\’ve forgotten because you\’ve seen so much other good, bad, and indifferent.\
Prichard acknowledged the internal struggle of balancing quality with roster inclusion:
\”Less is more. But sometimes, you have to battle that demon of, \’Oh my God, we need to get more people on this. We\’ve got to get more people on—it\’s WrestleMania.\’\
The shift to streaming has fundamentally changed how WWE approaches event construction.
\”The PLE/the streaming aspect of the business has changed that dynamic completely, because talent isn\’t paid on pay-per-view buys. There are no PPV buys. There\’s no real time allotment,\” Prichard explained.
He also noted that weekly television has become equally valuable:
\”Television is just as valuable as the PLEs now, with rights fees and everything else.\
WWE currently produces approximately six hours of weekly main roster content between Raw and SmackDown, with most standard PLEs featuring around five matches.
