To make professional wrestling fans excited reports recently affirmed that WWE Smackdown will be moving to a 3-hour format. The change is likely happening in early 2025 to fall in line with WWE Raw’s move to Netflix. However, the change in format may not be permanent for the show as it would head back to the original 2-hour format within a few months.
WrestleVotes (via WrestleVotes Radio on Patreon) was the source to have reported WWE Smackdown’s expansion to a three-hour format in January 2025 and that this move will coincide with RAW’s Netflix transition.
In an update, WrestleVotes has provided more details on plans for WWE SmackDown and shared that the third hour is planned to be temporary. According to the source, the “chatter” in WWE is that the blue brand’s move to be a longer show will stick until June 2025 after which it will go back to a two-hour show. The Friday night show has been a two-hour show since its inception and that’s how it will eventually be retained.
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Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter also broke down the financials of WWE Smackdown’s expansion, claiming that USA Network pays WWE less per hour than FOX did ($96.3 million vs. $102.5 million). Hence, the costs of producing a third hour of wrestling remain minimal. However, Fridays are relatively difficult to attract a TV-viewing audience in general.
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It’s also believed that WWE Smackdown could directly impact AEW Rampage which currently airs Fridays at 10 PM once it’s become a three-hour show. There’s speculation that Warner Brothers Discovery could move Rampage to a different slot to remove any sort of clash or drop it entirely once their new TV deal with AEW is announced.
WWE SmackDown recently debuted a new logo for the September 13 USA Network premiere and it also got a new theme song in the form of Megan Thee Stallion’s “Neva Play”, featuring RM of BTS. Many WWE legends were in attendance to celebrate the occasion. For the time being, USA will also be hosting Raw for the remainder of the year but it will become a 2-hour show starting from October 7.
