WWE made some changes to SmackDown’s runtime when the show moved to USA Network as the blue brand expanded to three hours on Friday nights. However, the show reverted back to a two hour format back in July, but it was recently reported that SmackDown will be returning to three hours in January of 2026.
Bryan Alvarez recently discussed plans for SmackDown’s runtime on Wrestling Observer Live and it was noted that the feeling within WWE is the third hour will only be a temporary addition to the show.
“I can’t say this 100 per cent, but I can tell you that there’s a feeling within WWE that this is going to be very similar to what happened this year, which is in 2026 it’s gonna move to three hours. It’ll probably be that way for six-seven months and then it’ll go back to two hours again for the remainder of the year.”
“I think this has something to do, right now they’ve got two hours and the two hours is followed by the Braun Strowman show. The Braun Strowman show is doing great. Number one because Braun Strowman is involved and he’s a big name to wrestling fans, and also apparently it’s a really good show, and it goes right after SmackDown. So the Braun Strowman show is beating like NXT and Dynamite, that’s how well the Braun Strowman show is doing. So I think the Braun Strowman show goes through the end of the year,” he continued.
“So when the show ends, I guess they’re going to move SmackDown back to three hours again and then they’re going to find some other show involving a WWE talent that they can then put on maybe halfway through 2026. And then the show would go back to two hours and away we go.”
H/T Cultaholic.com