4 Things WWE needs to do when SmackDown moves to 3 hours

Reports suggest that a big change is coming to WWE SmackDown in the new year, with the blue-branded show returning to a three-hour runtime starting from the January 2, 2026, edition from the KeyBank Center in Buffalo, NY. The runtime change has not been confirmed by WWE or USA Network yet, but has been reported by multiple sources.

SmackDown ran for three hours in 2025 as well, starting from January to July of this year. The Friday Night Show has been dealing with low ratings over the past few weeks, leading to several unpredictable moments over the two recent episodes. And with a longer runtime, there are several key things WWE needs to do to ensure that the blue brand is not neglected.

4. Trade some of RAW’s best in-ring workers to SmackDown

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When RAW moved to Netflix earlier this year, many of SmackDown's top stars, such as Roman Reigns, Jimmy Uso, AJ Styles, and LA Knight moved to the red brand to give it a boost. Fast forward to the end of the year, and the roster on the blue brand feels depleted.

Although Drew McIntyre and Damian Priest have joined the Friday Night Show alongside former AEW stars Rey Fenix and Aleister Black, the roster still feels too light. With more time to put on matches, some of the better in-ring workers could move to SmackDown, since they would have a better chance to showcase their in-ring skills.

3. NXT could get a showcase every week

Fans always seem to appreciate the main roster collaborating with NXT in any capacity. With John Cena's final edition of Saturday Night's Main Event set to feature an NXT showcase, the company could make it a staple on the main roster every week, potentially as part of an Open Challenge.

Or, better yet, they could involve stars across the two brands in a feud to raise the stakes of NXT's involvement.

2. Take the Tag Team Titles off The Wyatt Sicks and onto a better in-ring tag team

SmackDown has some incredible tag teams, with the Motor City Machine Guns, DIY, Fraxiom, Street Profits, and the MFTs to name a few. The Wyatt Sicks currently hold the WWE Tag Team Championship, but haven't been booked as champions.

The eerie faction has been absent from programming for long periods and hasn't been able to build a solid storyline. While it seemed like they were set to have a feud with the MFTs, those plans seem scrapped, with Solo Sikoa's faction now feuding with Sami Zayn and his allies.

As a result, the titles should likely go to one of the teams appearing more regularly, such as the Machine Guns or perhaps Fraxiom.

1. Fill the undercard with bright talent

SmackDown hasn't felt like the land of opportunity in a long time. And perhaps new, young talent is what is required. Call-ups from NXT should move to the blue-branded show to get more exposure with the increased runtime and to help make the undercard stronger.

The Friday Night Show could certainly use someone like Trick Williams, Oba Femi, or Joe Hendry's presence to help boast an equally strong roster as RAW.

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Edited by Arsh Das