WWE has made the announcement that many fans have been waiting for, that SmackDown will go back to 2 hours beginning next week.
As announced during the June 27 SmackDown in Saudi Arabia, the Friday night show will revert back to its original format beginning July 4. Michael Cole broke the news on commentary and reminded the fans of the news later in the night:
“One programming note, Friday Night SmackDown next week [in] Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania goes to two hours,” Cole said. ” Two hours for Friday Night SmackDown.”
SmackDown first went to 3 hours at the start of the year, reportedly due to the USA Network having nothing in place to fill the 10 til 11 pm slot on Friday nights. The extension was not well-received by fans as the show has at times struggled to remain compelling for the full 3-hour duration. Triple H previously stated that the move to 3 hours was not a permanent one, and was said to revert back to the 2-hour runtime in the summer.
First 2 Hour WWE SmackDown To Be Pre-Taped
As fans are aware, the July 4 SmackDown falls on the national holiday in the States. To give the roster time off to celebrate the holiday and the long weekend, the show will be pre-taped after the June 30 edition of Monday Night Raw goes off the air. Much like Raw, the show will focus on the fallout from Night of Champions.
Featured image: WWE
