After a brief stint in three-hour territory, WWE SmackDown is officially set to scale back to its traditional two-hour format starting with the July 4 episode. According to a new report from PWInsider Elite, fans can expect just two more extended editions before the blue brand reverts to its more familiar runtime.
The change aligns with a new Friday night programming shift on USA Network. At 10 p.m. following SmackDown, the network will debut a new series titled The Rainmaker—an adaptation of the John Grisham novel of the same name. This programming move all but confirmed WWE’s decision to cut back SmackDown‘s length.
The three-hour expansion was introduced earlier in 2025, largely as a stopgap after WWE Raw shifted over to Netflix in January. While the extended runtime gave more talent time to shine, it was always billed as a temporary move. Now, with SmackDown set to return to two hours, WWE appears to be settling back into a more sustainable weekly schedule.
For some fans, this is welcome news. The two-hour format has long been seen as the sweet spot—long enough to build stories and showcase top-tier talent without dragging. Even Paul “Triple H” Levesque previously noted that his ideal show would land somewhere between two and three hours, giving creative teams enough breathing room without feeling bloated.
Still, the rollback means less weekly TV time to go around, and some Superstars who’ve enjoyed regular exposure during the three-hour stretch may soon find themselves fighting harder for airtime.
As WWE fine-tunes its new era of TV partnerships and streaming transitions, the return to a tighter SmackDown may mark a renewed focus on concise storytelling and more meaningful weekly programming.
Stay tuned—July 4 might not just be about fireworks in the sky, but also a refreshed spark for the blue brand.
Wrestling News Blog 