Report: Why WWE Changed Plans & Kept SmackDown As A Three-Hour Show

Friday Night SmackDown has been a three-hour show since the beginning of 2025 and the series will stick with a 180-minute runtime for the foreseeable future.

At the time of SmackDown moving to three hours, it was noted by WWE Chief Content Officer Triple H that the Friday night show would eventually revert back to two hours. Plans were initially in place for SmackDown to change back to two hours in June but those plans have since been scrapped, according to WrestleVotes on WrestleVotes Radio.

WWE ultimately scrapped plans for SmackDown to go back to two hours as USA Network was steadfast on keeping the show at three hours. SmackDown may instead move back to two hours later this year.

"According to sources, the plans for SmackDown's show length on USA Network has changed. Back in January, WWE and USA agreed that the May 30th show would be the final three-hour presentation, with the show reverting back to two hours on the June 6th edition. We are told the show will remain three hours for the foreseeable future as USA Network was steadfast on keeping it that length. Sources say USA has been happy overall with the performance of the show numbers-wise with the extra third hour. Discussions on if the show will revert back to two hours are currently ongoing with an idea that it could happen when the overall new television season starts in late September for all the networks," WrestleVotes said.

SmackDown has aired on USA Network in the United States since September 2024 after WWE and NBCUniversal agreed to a five-year deal worth $1.4 billion. SmackDown airs on Netflix internationally.

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