Last Friday night’s episode of WWE SmackDown marked the start of a new era, returning to a three-hour format on USA Network. However, this change may not be permanent, as it could revert to a two-hour format later this year.
Bryan Alvarez from F4WOnline.com discussed this on The Bryan and Vinny Show, noting that although SmackDown has officially shifted to three hours since January 2nd, sources suggest the change is temporary. Alvarez mentioned that when WWE announced the return to a three-hour format for early 2026, he was informed it would likely follow a similar pattern as 2025, where the show would be three hours for the first half of the year and then switch back to two hours later on.
Alvarez explained that this adjustment is primarily due to the USA Network’s programming strategy.
The network may want to use SmackDown as a lead-in to launch another show in the latter half of the year, similar to how “Everything On The Menu with Braun Strowman” followed SmackDown in the past.
If this occurs, WWE SmackDown would likely need to shorten its runtime back to two hours to accommodate the additional programming.
