During the first episode of Wrestlevotes Radio, it was revealed that WWE SmackDown is set to expand to a 3-hour format starting in January. This indicates that fans can look forward to 6 hours of exclusive WWE programming each week, with Raw airing for 3 hours on Netflix.
Joey Votes discussed on Wrestlevotes Radio (via Sportskeeda’s Backstage Pass Patreon) that the current 3-hour format of SmackDown is temporary, with plans to revert to a 2-hour show in about 6 months, around June.
Joey said, “Something else we wanted to touch on quickly when we mentioned that SmackDown will be moving to three hours. As of right now, the chatter internally is that is only for 6 months. [3 hours] is gonna start in January when Raw moves to 3 hours. The plan right now is that 6 months down the road, SmackDown then goes back to 2 hours.”
Change is always on the horizon, and if the USA network is pleased with the Friday night ratings, there’s a strong possibility they might extend a more lucrative offer to WWE to maintain those three hours. As WrestleMania season begins in January, the extended three-hour format could be the perfect opportunity to pack even more excitement into the shows, particularly with the return of iconic figures like The Rock and John Cena.
