As previously reported, WWE Friday Night SmackDown is set to return to a three-hour format starting in January 2026.
According to the latest Wrestling Observer Newsletter, USA Network needs SmackDown to be three hours long in order to boost the network's average ratings for the week. The report also notes that the decision to reduce the show's duration to two hours was made to help improve ratings for a new series, “The Rainmaker”, which was used as a lead-in during its freshman season. Additionally, the network aired “Everything On The Menu” with Braun Strowman, which performed well but did not achieve the same ratings as SmackDown when it was three hours.
The report suggests that while SmackDown's ratings may drop initially when returning to a three-hour format, the overall performance of the show could improve because the football season will be over, meaning there will be less competition during this time.
WWE SmackDown had previously shortened its runtime to two hours in July 2025, after initially starting its three-hour format on the network in January 2025.
