WWE SmackDown Expected to Return to Two-Hour Format in August

WWE Friday Night SmackDown, which expanded to a three-hour format earlier in 2025, is expected to return to its traditional two-hour format on Friday, August 15, 2025. This change is prompted by the USA Network's announcement that the new legal drama series "The Rainmaker" will premiere at 10 PM ET, a slot that would conflict with SmackDown's third hour. "The Rainmaker," starring Milo Callaghan, John Slattery, and Lana Parrilla, will air on Fridays with episodes streaming on Peacock a week later, signaling a scheduling shift for the network. While WWE has not officially confirmed the format change, insiders and wrestling analysts view the series premiere date as a strong indicator of SmackDown's reduced runtime. The August 15 SmackDown episode will take place in Boston and precedes WWE's upcoming international tour. WWE Chief Content Officer Paul "Triple H" Levesque had previously signaled that a return to the two-hour format would occur sometime in 2025.