Add as a preferred source on Google WWE SmackDown is about to wrap up another run with its three-hour format on USA Network.
According to Dave Meltzer on Wrestling Observer Radio, the expectation is that the show will revert to its traditional two-hour format between the last Friday in June and the first Friday in July, with the second date considered the most likely.
Meltzer explained that the change isn’t a sudden creative decision by WWE, but rather part of the structure of the current television deal. Under the contract, SmackDown runs for three hours from January through the end of June, then returns to two hours from July through December.
The information reinforces previous reports that USA Network was already preparing to fill the third hour with other programming, including shows not related to pro-wrestling.
It’s worth remembering that SmackDown officially returned to the three-hour format on January 2, 2026, after following the same pattern in 2025. WWE itself billed that episode as the return to the format on USA Network.
The most important point, however, is that this rotation is expected to continue for years to come. When asked by Bryan Alvarez if the model will repeat in the future, Meltzer indicated yes, possibly for the next four years.
In short, SmackDown is set to go back to two hours in the middle of the year, but the extended version of the show isn’t dead. If the deal stays in place, the trend is for WWE to repeat the same move in January 2027.