Raw (WWE brand)
Raw is a brand of the U.S. based professional wrestling promotion WWE. The brand was first established on March 25, 2002, with a draft on "Monday Night Raw" and went into effect one week later on April 1. The brand split was discontinued in August 2011, but was brought back in July 2016. Wrestlers assigned to the Raw brand wrestle predominantly on the "Raw" television program as well as "Main Event", the seasonal "Mixed Match Challenge", and Raw branded or co-branded pay-per-view events and WWE Network events. During the first brand split, they also competed on "Heat" and on "ECW" under a talent exchange program.
History of WWE Raw
By the summer of 1999, every "Raw" was generally live, which remains the format today. A few exceptions still exist, most notably during the Christmas and holiday season when WWE will tape two weeks worth of shows so their superstars go home for the holiday season. "Raw" will also often air on tape delay whenever the company is touring overseas, such as its biannual airing of "Raw" from the United Kingdom (which is shown live in that country). Until the end of its first run on USA Network in 2000, "Raw" would also often be pre-empted by the annual Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show, which after WWE's return to USA in 2005 would air on CNBC on Monday nights.