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Since WWE began broadcasting their television shows from the WWE Performance Center, they have done so with zero fans, first in front of rows of empty chairs before repositioning their camera shots to face the entrance ramp. This has led to what has been the new normal, WWE performers competing in an empty building, something that had never been done with the exception of speciality matches like Boiler Room Brawls that started out backstage.
As of tonight's episode of Monday Night Raw, that will change.
PWInsider.com has confirmed that for tonight's broadcast (which is being taped right now), WWE NXT developmental talent will be sitting in the crowd to help create a live atmosphere. This will add ambient noise and bring about more of a normal feel for viewers of the show, following the strategy All Elite Wrestling has employed in recent weeks for their Dynamite tapings and this past weekend's Double or Nothing PPV. That decision made AEW's broadcasts far easier to sit through.
Previously, WWE had opted not to maintain the empty buildings as there was a feeling among some executives that it would look bad in an era where social distancing was being promoted by the CDC and that it would hurt the professional look and feel of the WWE broadcasts. PWInsider.com had been told several weeks ago that many within WWE weren't happy with the sterile feel of their TV broadcasts, but felt it was a necessary evil in order to produce content. Whether tonight is a full-time change or just an experiment for tonight's broadcast remains to be seen.
Fightful.com were the first to report that there were plans to use NXT talent in the audience tonight. PWInsider.com independently learned of the plans when posting our story.
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