A new programming announcement from the USA Network indicates that WWE SmackDown will return to its traditional two-hour format by mid-August. The show expanded to three hours at the beginning of 2025.
USA Network announced that a new drama series, “The Rainmaker,” based on the John Grisham novel, will begin airing in the 10 PM ET time slot on Fridays, starting on August 15th. This scheduling move means SmackDown, which currently airs from 8 PM to 11 PM ET, will have to end at 10 PM ET to make room.
WWE executive Triple H had previously indicated that the three-hour format for SmackDown was not intended to be a permanent change and that the show would eventually return to two hours. The USA Network schedule now provides a definitive timeline for that change.
WWE and USA Network have not yet made a formal announcement regarding the format change, but the new schedule makes it clear that SmackDown will be a two-hour broadcast again no later than August 15th.
