Is WWE SmackDown once again moving back to three-hour format?

SmackDown reverted to the two-hour format in the summer.

WWE kicked off 2025 in style with the Raw Netflix debut, and the promotion also transitioned the weekly Friday Night SmackDown into a three-hour show. The first show from the Blue brand of 2025 was three hours long, marking the transition from a two-hour show.

However, the change was temporary as the Blue brand reverted to its original two-hour format in June, and currently the program length is two hours every Friday. However, according to a new report, the show will once again shift its length.

Will SmackDown move to the three-hour format again?

According to a recent report from WrestleVotes, Friday Night SmackDown is heading back to a three-hour format beginning in early 2026.

The outlet via X (Twitter) shared the update that WWE and USA Network have agreed to expand the SmackDown to the three-hour format again, beginning with the January 2, 2026, episode at the KeyBank Center in Buffalo, New York.

“According to sources, WWE and USA Network have decided to move SmackDown back to three hours, beginning with the January 2nd show from Buffalo, NY.”

This change represents a notably quick return to the longer runtime. As mentioned, the Blue brand had previously expanded to three hours from January through June 2025 as a temporary measure to help USA Network recover advertising revenue after Monday Night Raw moved to Netflix.

The show returned to its traditional two-hour format from the July 4, 2025, episode. The three-hour-long show was met with mixed opinions from fans, as many liked the extra hour of television.

On the other hand, others believed it exposed the lack of strong storylines and the thin roster on the Blue brand, leading to elongated segments. The extra hour also wasn’t used wisely to give screen time to rising talents as fans hoped for.

SmackDown is currently one of the worst-performing weekly shows from the promotion, and it remains to be seen what WWE and USA Network hope to achieve with moving back to the three-hour format.

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