WWE & USA Network Reportedly Make Major Change To SmackDown Runtime

SmackDown started off 2025 as a three-hour show, but that last hour was dropped back on the 4th of July.

There's been no official confirmation from WWE or the USA Network that the show is changing formats once again, as of this writing, but it's not hard to imagine both parties jumping at an opportunity to bring in additional revenue with an extra hour of programming.

Tonight's episode of the Blue Brand will be taking place from the MVP Arena in Albany, New York, with opening round match-ups in John Cena's The 'Last Time is Now' Tournament taking place.

The Miz will be facing off against Jey Uso, while LA Knight battles an opponent that General Manager Nick Aldis has decided to keep a secret.

Does SmackDown really need a third hour?

The answer to that question depends entirely on your point of view. Many fans and critics believe three hours of programming on a Friday night is simply too much, and I tend to agree. But at the same time, there are a number of people in the locker room who could really benefit from more screen time becoming available.

When the switch to the two-hour format was first announced, I knew one of two divisions was going to suffer as a result. It was either going to be the men's tag team division, or the women's mid-card scene. More often than not, it was the latter.

Even when someone like Giulia held the Women's United States Championship, a highly touted international free agent signing that the company is very high on, the creative team struggled to consistently book her on a weekly basis.

The responsibility will fall on Chief Content Officer Paul 'Triple H' Levesque and his team to properly utilize that extra hour, but they have more than enough talent to fill the time. Not just women's stars like Giulia and Chelsea Green, but also tag teams like Fraxiom, #DIY, MCMG and The Street Profits. Each of whom have disappeared for large stretches of time following a white hot summer for the men's tag team division.