WWE SmackDown Returning to Two-Hour Format Starting July 4 – After nearly a year in a three-hour timeslot, WWE SmackDown will officially return to its traditional two-hour format beginning Friday, July 4, 2025.
The blue brand initially expanded to three hours in September 2024, a move widely reported at the time to be temporary. However, conflicting reports in recent months suggested the longer format might become permanent. Those plans have now been scrapped.
Confirmation came following the latest USA Network schedule release, which announced the premiere of the new series The Rainmaker airing Fridays at 10/9c, beginning August 15. That timeslot would directly conflict with the third hour of SmackDown, which currently runs from 8/7c to 11/10c.
Multiple sources have since confirmed that WWE will trim SmackDown back to its standard two-hour format, with the change taking effect starting the July 4 episode. Notably, that particular edition of SmackDown will be pre-taped on May 30 following a live RAW broadcast in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, due to the Independence Day holiday in the U.S.
This shift brings SmackDown back in line with its original runtime, which had been a consistent two-hour format since its inception before the temporary three-hour extension last fall. The extra hour had allowed for more in-ring content and storyline progression, but had also drawn criticism from some fans and insiders who felt the show occasionally dragged.
The return to a two-hour format brings closure to months of conflicting reports and speculation about the show’s future length. This ends ongoing debate that the three-hour version of SmackDown might be here to stay.
With this return to two hours, WWE is expected to streamline its Friday night programming and potentially deliver a tighter, more focused product moving forward.
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WWE SmackDown Returning to Two-Hour Format Starting July 4
