WWE SmackDown WWE

WWE SmackDown Appears Set To Return To Two-Hour Format This Summer

Originally posted on Wrestling on SI | By Rick Ucchino | Last updated Jun 17, 2025 4:55 PM ET

WWE Friday Night SmackDown looks to be returning to the old two hour format, and it appears to have been quietly been confirmed nearly two weeks ago.

Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer posted on social media Tuesday afternoon that a new show called 'Rainmaker' is set to debut on Friday, August 15 at 10pm ET (9pm CT) on the USA Network. He goes on to credit a report from Variety.

The publication first mentioned the premiere date in this column from June 4, promoting the latest trailer for the series.

The 10pm ET (9pm CT) start time for 'Rainmaker', which as Meltzer already joked has nothing to do with Kazuchika Okada, would indicate that SmackDown will be dropping it's third hour of programming by that date.

The August 15 episode of SmackDown is set to take place in Boston's TD Garden Arena, and comes one week ahead of WWE's overseas tour that will lead up to Clash in Paris.

There's been no confirmation from WWE on the future of SmackDown's length, but Chief Content Officer Paul 'Triple H' Levesque did announce back in January that the Blue Brand would go back to the old format at some point in 2025. We'll provide more information on the future of SmackDown as it becomes available.

This article first appeared on Wrestling on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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