WWE SmackDown to Revert to Two-Hour Format in July Under NBCUniversal Deal

WWE SmackDown will return to a two-hour format beginning in July, Bryan Alvarez reports, as the company’s contract with NBCUniversal/USA Network specifies three-hour episodes only run from January through the end of June each year. SmackDown first expanded to three hours on January 3, 2025, reverted to two hours on July 4, 2025, and then returned to a three-hour format on January 2, 2026.

Dave Meltzer corroborated the timeline on Wrestling Observer Radio, stating the current deal structures SmackDown as three hours from January–June and two hours from July–December, a pattern expected to remain for the duration of the media-rights agreement — “for the foreseeable future,” likely the next four years. Fans should therefore anticipate the seasonal runtime shift back to two-hour broadcasts at the start of July.

Originally reported by Wrestling Observer: https://www.f4wonline.com/news/wwe/update-on-wwe-smackdown-reverting-to-two-hour-format/.