WWE SmackDown will go back to a two-hour format at the end of June, confirming a planned change tied to its current broadcast agreement. The update was shared by Dave Meltzer during Wrestling Observer Radio, where he explained that the three-hour format is only temporary.
According to Meltzer, the June 26 episode will be the final SmackDown airing under the three-hour structure. After that date, the show will shift back to its traditional two-hour runtime. This move is part of a six-month rotation built into the deal, where the extended format runs for part of the year before reverting.
The current version of SmackDown airs from 8 PM to 11 PM EST. Once the change takes effect, it will return to a two-hour window from 8 PM to 10 PM EST. This adjustment also affects the programming that follows the show.
“Everything On The Menu With Braun Strowman,” which currently airs at 11 PM EST, will move up to 10 PM EST once SmackDown shortens. The show recently debuted with a preview episode, while its official launch is scheduled for this Friday.
Meltzer explained how the timing of the new series created some confusion about scheduling.
“We’ve got three hours until the end of the month, June 26 is the last three-hour show. Originally, I was told six months, January through July, and the idea was that would be it for the whole five-year deal: six months on, six months off. But then they announced the Braun Strowman show. They previewed it last week, and even though the first episode has already aired, the official start is this coming Friday. So I figured, okay, it’ll be at 10, but it’s going to be at 11 for this first month. Why debut a new series at 11? It’s fine, honestly. It’s got a SmackDown lead-in, it’s the hottest show on the whole station, so it’s in the most advantageous slot either way. It would obviously do better at 10 than 11, but the contract is six months on, six months off. So through June 26, the three hours is tough.”
WWE moved SmackDown to USA Network in 2024 as part of its updated media rights deal. The rotating schedule allows flexibility in programming while keeping SmackDown in a prime position on Friday nights.
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