A change to WWE SmackDown is expected this summer, with new details emerging on the timeline and long-term plan.
According to Dave Meltzer on Wrestling Observer Radio, WWE SmackDown will move back to a two-hour format either in the final week of June or, more likely, the first week of July. The shift is not temporary, with the structure tied directly to USA Network’s current deal with WWE.
Meltzer noted that the agreement is set up with SmackDown airing as a three-hour show from January through June, before switching to two hours from July through December. The show is then scheduled to return to three hours again in January 2027, with that cycle expected to continue.
The upcoming switch is expected to align with new programming on USA Network, including the second season of Everything on the Menu featuring Braun Strowman, which is anticipated to premiere in early summer.
How Long Will The New WWE SmackDown Timeslot Schedule Last?
When asked if the WWE SmackDown format change is part of a longer-term plan, Dave Meltzer indicated the structure could remain in place for several years. SmackDown has already alternated between two and three hours in recent years, having expanded to three hours in January 2025 before reverting to two hours between July and December of that year. The show returned to three hours in January 2026 and has remained at that length since.
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