During Friday night’s WWE SmackDown, Michael Cole confirmed reports from last month that the show returns to it’s previous three-hour format, starting January 2, 2026. The first show of the new year will take place from the KeyBank Center in Buffalo, New York.
SmackDown ran as a three-hour show from January 3, 2025 up until June 27, 2025, before going back to it’s original two-hour format on July 4, 2025.
SmackDown airs every Friday at on the USA Network in the United States and Netflix internationally beginning at 8:00 pm ET.
Tell us what you think. Is SmackDown better as a three-hour show? Should it have continued to stay in it’s two-hour format? What would you do with the third-hour to keep fans tuned in as generally the third-hour was the lowest rated of the three hours. Furthermore the average ratings on the USA Network has been just over 1 million per week. Will a third hour hinder or help the show?