Feb 1, 2025; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Cody Rhodes celebrates after defeating Kevin Owens during the WWE Undiisputed Championship match during the WWE Royal Rumble at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Joe Camporeale-Imagn Images Credit: Joe Camporeale-Imagn Images
By Ben Axelrod on

As 2026 approaches, WWE is preparing to add another hour to its weekly programming schedule.

During Friday’s episode, WWE announced that its weekly WWE SmackDown show will extend to a third hour on the USA Network, beginning on Jan. 2, 2026.

The return to a three-hour SmackDown comes six months after WWE moved the weekly program back to two hours this past July. While it had been a two-hour show since its inception in 1999, WWE SmackDown moved to three hours at the start of 2025, shortly after its return to the USA Network following a five-year run on Fox.

Considering that it’s often one of USA Network’s most-watched weekly shows, it’s hardly a surprise that the Comcast-owned cable channel would want more WWE programming. As for WWE’s side, the move to three hours presumably comes with an increase in the pro wrestling giant’s rights fee.

With the move to three hours, WWE now lays claim to roughly eight hours of weekly programming when it’s not hosting a Premium Live Event. In the United States, that includes WWE Raw on Netflix (approximately three hours), WWE NXT on The CW (two hours) and now SmackDown‘s three hours on the USA Network. Premium Live Events, which air on ESPN’s direct-to-consumer streaming service, could stretch the TKO company’s output to no fewer than 11 hours in a given week.

While one could certainly question the potential for overexposure, WWE’s roster is arguably the deepest it’s ever been in the company’s history. And for anyone who’s been paying attention to the company’s business model since the formation of TKO, it’s hardly a surprise that it would jump at the opportunity to add an extra hour to its portfolio.

About Ben Axelrod

Ben Axelrod is a veteran of the sports media landscape, having most recently worked for NBC's Cleveland affiliate, WKYC. Prior to his time in Cleveland, he covered Ohio State football and the Big Ten for outlets including Cox Media Group, Bleacher Report, Scout and Rivals.

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