WWE Confirms SmackDown Is Going 3 Hours Again (WWE News)
Latest details on WWE SmackDown jumping from 2-3 hours in 2026. When? Why?
WWE announcer Michael Cole revealed on the 12 December edition of SmackDown that the blue brand will be going 3 hours again starting with the 2 January 2026 episode. This is the second time in as many years that Triple H's crew has elected to bolster SmackDown and lengthen the show from a more traditional 2 hour format by tacking on an extra hour.
Previously, the company struggled with regular 3 hour Friday broadcasts between January-June 2025. Early signs were promising, but then it became abundantly clear that SmackDown's writing staff didn't have nearly enough ideas to keep things interesting. Will the same thing happen again in the new year? Only time will tell.
Cole and co-host Corey Graves beamed as they discussed SmackDown going 3 hours again, but more isn't always necessarily a good thing. Again, the creative squad on Friday nights toiled at times last year, but WWE will presumably load up on hefty star power to try and justify this repeat in 2026.
One thing's for sure: WWE cannot keep stacking SmackDown full of one off matches or storylines that take an age to develop. Things have been moving a little too slowly on the blue side over the past couple of months. Shows aren't terrible (for the most part), but they aren't demanding fan attention either.
That'll need to change. The fact that the typically thrilling Royal Rumble-WrestleMania season is nigh should help out on that front. To reiterate, SmackDown will go 3 hours all over again starting with the 2 January special.