I also blame the lack of ratings on the apparent "fucking up" of the Invasion storyline. Apparently, the WCW and ECW superstars were not portrayed with their true, successful characteristics. A prime example would have to be Austin's turn to a heel role in which he was portrayed as an ass kisser. This likely discouraged many fans and caused them to slowly lose interest.
I also blame the inconsistent dedication from The Rock. When he bolted to Hollywood, several fans who watched only because of The Rock bolted from the WWF/E. He makes a comeback twice every year lately. He only seems to be around for 2 months at a time before he bolts back to the movie scene. He doesn't seem trustworthy as far as dedication to the WWE is concerned and this is probably causing many fans to lose patience waiting around for The Rock to return. So they stop watching. It's too bad that they can't appreciate all the other talent.
The only possible ways that the brand extension can be largely responsible is in the fact that not everyone has access to UPN, the station that airs Smackdown! and also in the fact that it takes away the opportunity for rivalry between certain superstars who are not on the same roster.
I don't see how the brand extension can be the entire reason for the lack of ratings. The ratings were already going down before the draft. So the main problem is probably related to something that happened before the draft took place. |