WWE has officially confirmed that Friday Night SmackDown will return to its traditional two-hour runtime. The change will take effect with the upcoming July 4 episode, which will air from 8-10 p.m. Eastern time on the USA Network.
The announcement was made by Michael Cole during the commentary of the June 27 broadcast, which emanated from Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The show marked the final three-hour installment of the program.
“One programming note, Friday Night SmackDown next week [in] Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania goes to two hours,” Cole stated on air. ” Two hours for Friday Night SmackDown.”
The move back to a two-hour show had long been planned, although it was delayed by a month from its originally intended start in early June. SmackDown had been operating under the expanded three-hour format since the beginning of 2025. The adjustment in runtime is tied to USA Network’s programming schedule, as it makes way for a new series, The Rainmaker, which is set to premiere in August and will occupy the third hour.
Because the next episode falls on the Fourth of July holiday, it will be a taped edition. The show is scheduled to be filmed this Monday, June 30, at the PPG Paints Arena in Pittsburgh, following the live broadcast of WWE RAW.