WWE SmackDown Returning To 2 Hours

Friday Night SmackDown won't be a three-hour programme for much longer, it has been revealed.

Bodyslam has reported that SmackDown will switch back to two hours in the next few weeks, although an exact date was not revealed. The May 1 and May 8 episodes of SmackDown are still listed to be three hours on USA Network's TV schedule.

The decision to switch back to two hours is reportedly a move by USA Network and not WWE. The network has shows due to air at 10 pm ET later this year, including Everything on the Menu starring Braun Strowman which will return for season two in early summer.

Friday Night SmackDown has primarily been a two-hour show since its premiere back in 1999. The show switched to three hours for the first half of 2025, however, in an unpopular move amongst fans and people within WWE. SmackDown then moved to three hours once again from the January 2, 2026 episode and has remained three hours in recent months.

The possibility of SmackDown moving back to two hours was reportedly a factor in WWE carrying out releases following WrestleMania 42, with 14 main roster wrestlers who primarily performed on SmackDown being let go. Altogether, 25 wrestlers were released by WWE on Friday, April 24.