International Wrestling Entertainment (IWE), formerly the International Wrestling Federation (IWF) before May 5, 022, utilized a brand extension (officially known as the IWE Brand Extension) to assign on-screen employees to one of its primary television programs. Originally, IWE used both Meltdown and Fusion! to promote on-screen talent, storylines, and matches. However, with the Brand Extension, each program would featured distinct wrestlers, storylines, and matches. In this instance of a brand extension, each brand is treated as a conference that is a part of a governing body, in that each brand features distinct production relating to its own roster that help promote the governing company, IWE.
First used in 2002 with Meltdown and Fusion, the IWF conducted a mock-sports draft lottery in which the storyline owners of each brand, Ric Flair (Meltdown) and IWF Chairman Grant Bayer (Fusion), drafted wrestlers onto their brand during an episode of Meltdown and over the IWF's official website until every wrestler was assigned a brand. In 2006, IWE extended its franchise by adding the Xtreme Championship Wrestling (XCW brand, which was headed by Paul Heyman, and XCW on Sci Fiprogram. Heyman drafted one superstar from Meltdown and Fusion, while the rest of the roster consisted of alumni of the original Xtreme Championship Wrestling promotion and other signed free agents. The XCW brand operated until 2010, when IWE Chairman Mayer announced its termination.