While Friday Night SmackDown officially kicked off its new three-hour format on the USA Network this week, a new report suggests the expanded runtime may not be a permanent fixture for the entirety of 2026.
Speaking on the Bryan and Vinny Show, Bryan Alvarez reported that the current three-hour block is expected to follow a similar pattern to 2025, potentially reverting to two hours in the second half of the year.
Alvarez noted that when the announcement was made regarding SmackDown’s shift to three hours for January 2026, sources indicated it would likely mirror the previous year’s schedule. In 2025, the blue brand ran for three hours during the first half of the year before scaling back to two.
“I was told, when the announcement was made that they were going back to three hours in January, that it probably was going to be the same thing this year, where it would be a three hour show for the first half, or whatever,” Alvarez stated.
Programming Strategy
The strategy appears to be driven by the network’s desire to use SmackDown as a strong lead-in for other programming later in the year. Alvarez mentioned that the network likely intends to launch a different program—similar to the “Braun Strowman program” that aired previously—to follow SmackDown in the latter half of 2026, necessitating a cut back to the two-hour wrestling format.
Filling the Time with New Talent
While Alvarez expressed a general sentiment that “three hours is too long for any wrestling show,” he praised the execution of the first episode of 2026. He noted that unlike the three-hour episodes in 2025 which often “struggled for content,” this week’s show utilized the extra hour effectively by showcasing main roster call-ups from NXT.
“This show, they brought up some new wrestlers from NXT… They had more than enough talent to fill up the three hours,” Alvarez said.
The show featured appearances by recent call-ups and new signings including Trick Williams, Jordynne Grace, Je’Von Evans, and Matt Cardona, justifying the extended runtime for the time being.
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