The expanded format could begin again in January 2027
Summary
– WWE reportedly plans to expand SmackDown back to three hours in January 2027
– The January 8 episode is currently targeted for the format change
– SmackDown is expected to remain two hours through the end of 2026
WWE SmackDown is reportedly expected to return to a three-hour format in early 2027, despite recently moving back to its traditional two-hour runtime.
According to WrestleVotes Radio on Fightful Select, WWE is currently targeting the January 8 episode for the return of SmackDown’s third hour.
The reported plan would follow a schedule similar to the one WWE used in 2026. SmackDown aired as a three-hour program throughout the first half of the year before returning to two hours in July.
Dave Meltzer previously reported in the Wrestling Observer Newsletter that the expanded format was expected to continue through June 2026. WWE then removed the additional hour as anticipated.
Bryan Alvarez also suggested that WWE could be developing an annual pattern for SmackDown. Under that approach, the show would run for three hours during the first half of the year before returning to two hours later in the summer.
“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,” Alvarez said.
SmackDown is currently expected to remain a two-hour program through the end of 2026. If WWE’s reported plan remains unchanged, the third hour will return on January 8.
There is no word on how long the three-hour format would continue in 2027. WWE could repeat its January-through-June schedule, but that timeline has not been confirmed.
