4 Reasons why WWE SmackDown is going back to 3 hours

As confirmed by Michael Cole on WWE SmackDown itself, the blue brand will return to being a three-hour show in 2026. The change will come into effect starting from the January 2 edition of the show.

SmackDown ran as a three-hour show from January 5 to June 27 this year as well. This was the first time the Friday Night Show had ever been three hours long. And now, it is set for another spell starting in the new year.

There could have been several reasons behind the change, and in this article, we will look at four of them.

4. To accommodate a larger roster

Although SmackDown has a much smaller roster in comparison to WWE RAW, it has a lot of top-tier talent. With stars such as Jacob Fatu and Randy Orton set to return in the new year and potential NXT call-ups adding to the numbers, the roster could become bigger in the new year.

Moving to a three-hour runtime would allow the show to feature more superstars, more matches, and more segments.

3. To prepare for WrestleMania 42

January through April is by far the busiest period in WWE, as the company prepares for the biggest event of the year - WrestleMania. The Royal Rumble is set to take place on January 31, and several major stars are likely to return to programming.

Making the show three hours long would allow the company to feature all their biggest superstars in a prominent way and to build steadily towards WrestleMania 42.

2. To give superstars more time to build storylines

Matches and promo segments can have more time to be flashed out in a three-hour show. And that is exactly what SmackDown could use after its major slump in ratings around Halloween this year.

WWE has since featured title matches and brought over stars from WWE RAW to help boost the ratings, but the lack of prominent storylines is still hurting the blue brand. A higher runtime would allow the company to steadily build up its major feuds, making the product even more attractive to viewers.

1. To allow WWE SmackDown to become the Land of Opportunity again

With lackluster feuds and repetitive booking, SmackDown has not felt like the 'Land of Opportunity' in a long time. However, something interesting is happening in the mid-card, with Ilja Dragunov, Carmelo Hayes, Tommaso Ciampa, Johnny Gargano, and more involved in the United States Championship picture.

These stars are slowly establishing themselves with every passing show, and the movement could snowball when SmackDown reverts to being three hours long. Perhaps WWE could add exciting talents like Joe Hendry, Oba Femi, Ethan Page, and Trick Williams to the show since the roster on RAW is stacked with star power, with little room for new faces.

The up-and-coming stars could take over the blue brand and could revive its reputation as the Land of Opportunity by cementing themselves as major stars. A three-hour-long runtime would only benefit them and would give them more time to display their talents.