It has grow to be a yearly tradition at this point for “WWE SmackDown” to make a change in its format, changing from a three-hour show right into a two-hour show halfway through the 12 months, and 2026 will likely be no different.
Reports began swirling in regards to the “SmackDown” runtime within the spring because the three-hour format, which has never truly been met with that much fanfare, will likely be ending once more in favor of a two-hour show. Dave Meltzer reported on the most recent edition of “Wrestling Observer Radio” what date the ultimate three-hour “SmackDown” will happen on, in addition to if the show will likely be adding back that extra hour in some unspecified time in the future in the long run. “Three hours until the tip of the month, the tip of this month, June 26 is the last three hour show,” Meltzer said. “I used to be told that originally. I used to be told six months on, January to July, and the concept’s going to be it for the complete five 12 months thing. Six months on, six months off…The three hour shows, they’re tough.”
Meltzer explained that he thought the move back to 2 hours would actually be earlier on account of Braun Strowman’s “Every part On The Menu” show returning this past Friday, a show that did thoroughly within the rankings largely on account of having “SmackDown” because the lead-in. Nevertheless, Strowman’s show will air at 11PM ET until the tip of June before returning to 10PM ET in July, and while Meltzer is confused as to why the USA Network would have a show that did so well return in such a late timeslot, there remains to be confidence that the WWE lead-in will make up for lost rankings.
Please credit “Wrestling Observer Radio” when using quotes from this text, and provides a H/T to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.