For better or for worse, WWE SmackDown will see changes made in the new year.
The first of 3 network changes to take place, SmackDown recently premiered on the USA Network in its usual timeslot complete with new theme and new graphics. In October, Raw will move to two hours for the rest of the year and NXT will move to the CW Network. In January, the highly anticipated Netflix premiere of Raw will take place and will mark a new era for the flagship brand. According to a new report, SmackDown will also undergo a significant change that fans are already unhappy about.
As reported on WrestleVotes Radio, beginning January 2025 the Friday night show will be extended and will be a 3-hour broadcast each week:
“Before we move off of SmackDown, our first real WrestleVotes tidbit here, as we get going on this backstage pass regarding SmackDown, is that we have learned that starting on the January 3 show 2025, Smackdown will indeed shift to three hours.”
WWE SmackDown To Reportedly Extend Runtime
The show has never been longer than 2 hours in its 25-year history and was met with a large amount of criticism from the fans when the above report made the rounds on social media. Many feel that 3 hours of Raw each week is too long and called for the runtime to be reduced when the show moves to Netflix. However, with the show expected to remain 3 hours long, fans will have at least 8 hours of original content from the company each week when factoring in the runtimes of Raw, SmackDown and NXT, with added time for weeks that include Premium Live Events.
Featured image: WWE
