Update On WWE Plans For Three-Hour SmackDown

Friday Night SmackDown's move to a three-hour show won't be a permanent switch.

For an unknown reason, WWE's current plans call for SmackDown to only be a three-hour series until mid-May, according to WrestleVotes on WrestleVotes Radio. The Friday night show will then switch back to being two hours.

SmackDown moving to three hours has not been officially confirmed by WWE and as of last word, the company was in talks with USA Network over securing improved terms on their current TV deal. SmackDown moved to USA in September 2024 as part of a multi-year deal worth $1.4 billion.

SmackDown hasn't regularly been a three-hour event in the show's history. Monday Night Raw, meanwhile, had been three hours since the Summer of 2012 but switched back to two hours in recent weeks. The length of WWE Raw on Netflix has yet to be finalised.

It was also rumoured in September that Friday Night SmackDown would be available on Netflix in the United States the day after the show airs on USA Network.

Raw, SmackDown, NXT and WWE pay-per-views/premium live events will all be available on Netflix from January 2025 in many of WWE's international territories, including the United Kingdom.