WWE Still Weighing a Third Hour for SmackDown – WWE is currently evaluating changes to the run times of both RAW and SmackDown, with discussions underway regarding potential shifts to longer formats.
WrestleVotes Radio reported that SmackDown is tentatively set to expand to three hours beginning on January 3, 2025. This extension, encouraged by USA Network, echoes the same push they applied to RAW back in 2012 when they moved the show to three hours. However, this adjustment may only be temporary, as sources indicate a possible return to the standard two-hour format by June 2025.
The topic of RAW‘s format is also evolving as the show prepares to transition to Netflix in January. WWE recently adjusted RAW to a two-hour runtime, a shift that some fans have embraced for its streamlined format and pacing improvements. However, internal reports suggest WWE may reconsider a three-hour runtime for RAW once it debuts on Netflix. One notable feature of this streaming transition is the flexibility it could offer; sources close to the Wrestling Observer Newsletter indicate that WWE may have the option to vary the length of RAW episodes depending on their programming plans and weekly content demands. This would allow WWE to adjust show length more dynamically in response to storyline developments or audience preferences, but the final decision is still being deliberated.
The additional hour for SmackDown is not a certainty, as negotiations between USA Network and WWE are still ongoing. Both sides are weighing the potential benefits against the risks, especially given audience feedback and the impact of previous format expansions. Fans and industry insiders alike are closely following these discussions, as they could significantly shape WWE’s weekly programming lineup in 2025.
Stay tuned to WrestlingAttitude, WA.Com On Twitter and Google News for more.
WWE Still Weighing a Third Hour for SmackDown