As WWE ushers in the new year, significant changes are on the horizon for both Raw and SmackDown. Starting this Friday, SmackDown will expand to three hours, while next week marks the debut of the Raw on Netflix era, which will also see the show transition to a three-hour format.
In addition to the move from USA Network to Netflix, there will be updates to the ring announcing teams. According to PWInsider.com, Lilian Garcia will handle introductions for Friday Night SmackDown starting tomorrow. Meanwhile, Alicia Taylor is set to take over as the ring announcer for Raw, beginning with the Netflix premiere.
Garcia, a longtime WWE favorite, returned to the company full-time in October after Samantha Irvin left WWE due to an inability to finalize terms for outside projects.
As for commentary, Joe Tessitore will join SmackDown, while Michael Cole and Pat McAfee will reunite as the broadcast team for Raw. These changes reflect WWE’s commitment to refreshing its flagship programming as it enters an exciting new chapter.
