According to a report from Pwinsider, the current plan is for both RAW and SmackDown to expand to three hours in January 2025.
RAW moved from 3 hours back to 2 last month for the rest of the year. The plan seemed to always be that RAW would then move back to 3 hours in January when the show makes the move to Netflix.
Now it appears that SmackDown on Friday night’s on the USA Network will also expand to 3 hours
While this is not confirmed just yet, there has been some talk of calling up talent from the NXT brand to help fill six hours of weekly television on the two main brands.
For years, the three-hour format has been a topic of debate among fans, with some embracing the extra content and others feeling it sometimes stretches thin. How WWE will balance the additional time without affecting pacing and viewership will be something to watch closely.
As January 2025 approaches, WWE fans can expect more announcements regarding this programming shift, as well as potential tweaks to the structure of RAW and SmackDown to maximize engagement and entertainment value in the new, extended format. For now, the prospect of a three-hour SmackDown is already stirring curiosity about how WWE will use the added time to shake up storylines and push its Superstars to new heights.
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