WWE’s decision to extend SmackDown to three hours has left many people inside the company feeling frustrated — and worried.
That extra hour was supposed to give talent more airtime and deepen storylines, but it’s now facing internal backlash. With Monday Night Raw now on Netflix as part of a bigger WWE content strategy, what was meant to be a positive change has instead caused real dissatisfaction among some staff.
New rumors have emerged about the challenges three-hour episodes of Smackdown have been for those in the company and how it could be done away with in the coming months.
Internal Complaints Could Soon Lead to WWE SmackDown’s Return to Two Hours
According to a new report on the WrestleVotes Radio podcast, sources point to “creative fatigue” as one of the biggest challenges with Smackdown going from two to three hours this year.
“We are told several within the company strongly dislike the three-hour SmackDown format as those sources feel like the quality of the show has dipped in the last two months. Prior to the expansion, there was optimism and belief that some underutilised talent would be able to shine considering the extra hour. However, that has not come to fruition as of yet.”
Wrestle Votes
Triple H, WWE’s Chief Content Officer, isn’t one to shy away from criticism. But during an appearance on “The Pat McAfee Show” earlier this year, he made it clear that the three-hour format would not be the new normal and that SmackDown will go back to two hours in June 2025. Maintaining that kind of show every week for three hours-straight is a strain on the creative team. Triple H admitted that’s been “extremely difficult” for them to manage.
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