WWE SmackDown may not remain a two-hour show for much longer.
According to a new report from WrestleVotes via Fightful Select, sources at USA Network expect SmackDown to return to a three-hour format beginning in January 2027.
SmackDown Expected To Expand Back To Three Hours
The report states that the tentative date for the change is the January 8, 2027 episode of SmackDown, though WWE has not officially confirmed the move.
The expected adjustment is reportedly tied to USA Network’s programming plans for the new year and would mark another shift in the blue brand’s broadcast length.
SmackDown returned to a two-hour format in July 2026 after previously airing as a three-hour program. At the time, reports indicated that the shortened runtime could remain in place through the end of the year.
WWE Expected To Alternate Formats
Since WWE’s television rights agreement with USA Network began in 2024, reports have suggested that SmackDown could alternate between two-hour and three-hour formats throughout the duration of the five-year deal.
If the latest report proves accurate, January’s return to three hours would be the latest example of that strategy.
Neither WWE nor USA Network has publicly commented on the reported change.
Timing Coincides With WWE’s European Tour
WWE has not yet announced a location for the January 8 episode of SmackDown.
The show is scheduled to take place one week before WWE kicks off its annual European tour on January 15.
The tour will begin in Brussels, Belgium, before SmackDown heads to Manchester, England. Meanwhile, Raw is scheduled to visit Glasgow, Scotland, and Dublin, Ireland as part of the international run.
For now, SmackDown remains a two-hour broadcast, but according to the report, fans may see the blue brand return to a three-hour format shortly after the start of 2027.
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