Backstage News On When WWE SmackDown Is Expected To Go Back To Three Hours

WWE has switched between the two- and three-hour formats for "WWE SmackDown" over the last few years, and a new report has revealed when it could likely return to being a three-hour show.

The blue brand switched to two hours in July, with reports suggesting that this could be the format until the end of December 2026. Now, "WrestleVotes on Fightful Select" has reported that sources from USA Network have informed them that "SmackDown" will revert to being a three-hour show in January 2027. The tentative date for the switch, according to the report, will be the January 8 episode. The report claimed that the change could be part of the network's new-year schedule.

Reports have indicated that the TKO-owned promotion will alternate between the two runtimes for the entire five-year deal it has with USA Network, which began in 2024.

WWE hasn't yet announced the venue for the January 8 "SmackDown," but the show will be a week before WWE's European tour, which begins in Brussels, Belgium on January 15. Following the show in Belgium, the blue brand will travel to Manchester, England, while "WWE Raw" will host shows in Glasgow, Scotland, and Dublin, Ireland as part of the tour.