10 Reasons Why WWE SmackDown Is Better Than Raw
2. It's Two Hours Long
At this point, complaining about Raw being three hours long is like beating a dead horse - nevertheless, it's still a major reason why Monday's show is just so difficult to get through. There's no way to change it - WWE gets a ton of money from the USA Network to air Raw and SmackDown, and the extra hour of Raw alone accounts for another $50 million a year. Given that in 2015, WWE made a $25 million profit overall, odds are they don't want to lose that $50 million.
So Raw's not getting shorter as long as USA is willing to pay extra for it. SmackDown, meanwhile, benefits from only being two hours long. During WWE's glory days, Raw was a trim two hours, and the pacing of SmackDown typically feels even better than those Raws. Usually, there's a long main event, a good focus on in-ring action, and a couple of effective non-wrestling segments.
SmackDown's length also has the benefit of keeping the crowd hot. Typically, Raw crowds are dead after an hour, knowing they've still got a long way to go. SmackDown crowds, on the other hand, are able to stay loud for the entire broadcast. It helps give the show a better feel overall.