WWE SmackDown is reportedly moving back to a three-hour broadcast format starting with the first episode of 2026. According to a new report from WrestleVotes, WWE and the USA Network have agreed to expand the show, with the change taking effect on January 2, 2026. That first three-hour show of the new year will be broadcast from the KeyBank Center in Buffalo, New York.
This move mirrors the scheduling pattern established in 2025, when SmackDown also ran as a three-hour program for the first half of the year—from January until the end of June—before reverting to its traditional two-hour slot.
This new report seems to confirm a scheduling model hinted at by WWE CCO Paul “Triple H” Levesque. During an appearance at the All In business summit in September, Levesque described SmackDown as a show that is “two hours — and half the year is three hours — on USA”.
At the time, it was unclear if he was only referring to 2025, but this new report suggests the split-year format is the new standard for the blue brand.