ECW (WWE brand)

ECW
Logo for the brand and the ECW television program
Product typeHardcore wrestling
Sports entertainment
OwnerWorld Wrestling Entertainment
Produced byPaul Heyman
(2006)
Vince McMahon
(2006–2010)
CountryUnited States
IntroducedMay 25, 2006
DiscontinuedFebruary 16, 2010
Related brandsRaw
SmackDown
NXT
205 Live
NXT UK
TaglineA new breed unleashed[1]
The Tribe of Extreme has risen again!
Predecessor:
Extreme Championship Wrestling

ECW was a brand of the American professional wrestling promotion World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) that was established in May 2006 and discontinued in February 2010. Brands are divisions of WWE's roster where wrestlers are assigned to perform on a weekly basis when a brand extension is in effect. Wrestlers that were assigned to ECW primarily appeared on the brand's weekly television program, ECW. The brand was established as a relaunch of the former Extreme Championship Wrestling (ECW) promotion, the assets of which WWE acquired in 2003.

The brand operated during the second half of WWE's first brand extension period (2002–2011), and was one of WWE's three main brands, along with Raw and SmackDown. In addition to the brand's television program, ECW wrestlers competed on the branded and co-branded pay-per-view events. From 2007 to 2009, ECW wrestlers also occasionally appeared on the Raw and SmackDown television programs due to talent exchange agreements between the brands. The brand was dissolved in February 2010, and its show was replaced by the reality series NXT, which was rebranded as WWE's developmental territory, NXT, in 2012.

  1. ^ Williams III, Ed (2006-06-12). "An extreme awakening makes Cena snap". World Wrestling Entertainment. Retrieved 2010-06-30.