WWE SmackDown will once again see its runtime extended to 3 hours beginning in 2026.
On the December 12 edition of SmackDown, announcers Michael Cole and Corey Graves confirmed that the Friday night show would be extended once more next year, with the January 2 show at the Keybank Center in Buffalo, New York being the first to have the additional hour. It was previously reported by WrestleVotes that the company was considering the extension once again, and the news is now official.
SmackDown first went to 3 hours at the start of 2025, with the reason for the change reportedly being that the USA Network did not have a show in its schedule that could draw a good rating in the 10 pm to 11 pm slot on Friday nights, so it relied on WWE fans watching SmackDown for an extra hour. The show moved back to the 2-hour format on July 4, 2025, and will remain for the rest of the year.
It currently remains unknown whether SmackDown will revert back to the 2-hour format in summer 2026, if at all.
January 2 WWE SmackDown To Kick Off 2026 Programming
Although nothing has been announced for the January 2 show at the time of writing, fans are expecting a loaded show given that it will be the first show of the year and the first of the 3-hour format. Additionally, the company has already announced that CM Punk will defend his World Heavyweight Championship against Bron Breakker on the January 5 Raw, which will be the first episode of the red brand next year.
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