The runtime for WWE SmackDown will reportedly change yet again in early 2026.
It appears that WWE and the USA Network agreed to alter the runtime for Friday Night SmackDown once again. Careful not to roll your eyes so hard that you fall out of your chair, but insider X account WrestleVotes took to social media Friday afternoon to report that episodes of the Blue Brand will soon be moving back to three hours in length.
The changeover will not happen until after the holidays have concluded, but it won't be much longer after New Year's Eve. The January 2, 2026 show at the KeyBank Center in Buffalo, New York is currently scheduled to be the first SmackDown to return to the three-hour block, according to WrestleVotes. According to sources, WWE and USA Network have decided to move SmackDown back to three hours, beginning with the January 2nd show from Buffalo, NY.SmackDown started off 2025 as a three-hour show, but that last hour was dropped back on the 4th of July. There's been no official confirmation from WWE or the USA Network that the show is changing formats once again, as of this writing, but it's not hard to imagine both parties jumping at an opportunity to bring in additional revenue with an extra hour of programming.Tonight's episode of the Blue Brand will be taking place from the MVP Arena in Albany, New York, with opening round match-ups in John Cena's The 'Last Time is Now' Tournament taking place. The Miz will be facing off against Jey Uso, while LA Knight battles an opponent that General Manager Nick Aldis has decided to keep a secret.The answer to that question depends entirely on your point of view. Many fans and critics believe three hours of programming on a Friday night is simply too much, and I tend to agree. But at the same time, there are a number of people in the locker room who could really benefit from more screen time becoming available. When the switch to the two-hour format was first announced, I knew one of two divisions was going to suffer as a result. It was either going to be the men's tag team division, or the women's mid-card scene. More often than not, it was the latter. Even when someone like Giulia held the Women's United States Championship, a highly touted international free agent signing that the company is very high on, the creative team struggled to consistently book her on a weekly basis. The responsibility will fall on Chief Content Officer Paul 'Triple H' Levesque and his team to properly utilize that extra hour, but they have more than enough talent to fill the time. Not just women's stars like Giulia and Chelsea Green, but also tag teams like Fraxiom, #DIY, MCMG and The Street Profits. Each of whom have disappeared for large stretches of time following a white hot summer for the men's tag team division.Aleister Black Dives Into Rivalry With Damian Priest & Reveals Perfect End Game Scenario Rick Ucchino is the Assistant Editor & Content Coordinator for The Takedown on SI. He also works full-time for 700WLW Radio in Cincinnati, Ohio as a local news and sports anchor, in addition to his time covering the Cincinnati Bengals for Sirius XM. Rick has been on the professional wrestling beat since 2019, having provided coverage for a number of outlets, including Fightful, SB Nation’s Cageside Seats and the Bleav Podcast Network. With an educational background in theater, creative writing and journalism, Rick focuses primarily on the storytelling aspect of pro wrestling, but he’s no stranger to the squared circle himself. He had the privilege of training with former WWE & WCW cruiserweight Jimmy Wang Yang for nearly two years and retired early due to back issues with a perfect 1-0 record in singles competition. Rick is a married father of two incredibly adorable children, who are budding pro wrestling fans themselves. Much to the chagrin of their mother. You can reach Rick at rwucchino@gmail.comJosh Hart Praises WWE 'Script' After Brunson-Haliburton Clip Resurfaces Ahead of ECF
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