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By Andrew Ravens
Contributing Sports Writer
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A new report indicates that WWE SmackDown will return to its traditional two-hour broadcast format sooner than expected. The show had been airing for three hours since the beginning of the year.
According to PWInsider, the change will take effect starting with the July 4th episode. That holiday episode will be pre-taped on May 30th following a live Raw in Pittsburgh.
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SmackDown: Earlier Return To Two Hours
This new timeline is earlier than what was previously indicated by USA Network's fall schedule. A recent announcement for a new series, "The Rainmaker," had it premiering in SmackDown's 10 p.m. Eastern time slot on August 15.
That announcement confirmed the show would eventually revert to two hours. This new report now pinpoints the exact date as July 4th.
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Financial Context For The Change
On a recent episode of Wrestling Observer Radio, Dave Meltzer discussed the likely financial reasons behind the move. He suggested that WWE was probably not earning significant additional revenue for the third hour.
"I guess the way they signed the contract, they must have given USA the option," Meltzer said. "Because if they were making more money on the deal, it absolutely would have been said at the investors call and we would have seen it."
More news: WWE News: Steve Austin Reveals Real-Life Vince McMahon Confrontation
A Temporary Expansion
When SmackDown initially expanded to three hours in January 2025, WWE executive Triple H indicated the move was not expected to be permanent. Fans who felt the three-hour runtime was too long will now see the show return to its original length this summer.
The return to a two-hour format will align SmackDown with the runtime of WWE's other main roster show, Monday Night Raw.
Since debuting on Thursday nights in 1999, WWE SmackDown has had a varied broadcast history. The show famously moved to Friday nights in 2005, a time slot it held for nearly a decade across multiple networks like The CW and Syfy.
After a brief return to Thursdays in 2015, SmackDown was reborn in 2016 as the live, Tuesday night SmackDown Live during the brand extension, positioning it as an equal to Raw. Its biggest move came in 2019 with a high-profile return to Fridays on the FOX broadcast network before eventually moving back to the USA Network.
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For more on WWE, head to Newsweek Sports.
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