According to a report from F4WOnline, Wrestlevotes is indicating that WWE SmackDown on the USA Network and Netflix for international fans, will continue to remain as a three-hour show for the “foreseeable future.”
It is being said the reason for the SmackDown set to remain three-hours, which is a change from previously plans, is because the NBCUniversal is satisfied with hour well the third hour is performing.
WWE and NBCUniversal had initially agreed that SmackDown would return to two-hours on Friday May 30. As far when, or if the show will go back to two-hours has reportedly been a topic of fluid discussion, with seeing the switch that could possibly take place in the fall.
WWE’s Chief Content Officer Paul Levesque had previously said that back in January during his appearance on the Pat McAfee show, that a three-hour format for SmackDown was only temporary.
After five-years on Fox, SmackDown returned to the USA Network last September, as part of a new $1.4 billion deal with NBCUniversal which includes WWE producing four live Saturday Night’s Main Event specials per year on NBC and the Peacock streaming service.