What WWE Is REALLY Doing With SmackDown Going Forwards (WWE News)
Latest word on what WWE has planned for SmackDown. Is it 2 hours or 3? It's BOTH.
Wrestling Observer Radio reports that SmackDown will revert back to a more traditional 2 hour format following the 26 June episode. That'll be taped in London, England on 23 June and is the 'go home' show before Night Of Champions over in Saudi Arabia.
WOR's companion newsletter also reported that SmackDown will alternate between being 3 hours during the January-June window, then goes back to 2 hours for July-December. Dave Meltzer and chums aren't sure if that's detailed in WWE's media rights deal for the blue brand in the United States, but they do know that the promotion plans to stick with this scheduling for a third straight year in 2027.
Some of SmackDown's 3 hour editions have come under fire for feeling a tad stale, boring or even bloated. It seems that getting the balance right on Friday nights has been tougher than Triple H and his creative team would care to admit.
As usual, the truth between 'outright terrible' and 'bloody awesome' falls somewhere in the middle - SmackDown does churn out some killer matches, promos and segments, but the midcard pack is often lacking in drama, and some of the storylines (like the ongoing pursuit of Royce Keys by Solo Sikoa and his MFTs group) drag on and on and on and...you get the picture.
Perhaps shaving off an hour come the end of the month will help give the weekly more zip, but that obviously remains to be seen.
To summarise, WWE wants to maintain spells of 3 hour programming, but SmackDown will return to 2 hours from the 3 July episode onwards.