WWE SmackDown is going live for the first time on a permanent basis every Tuesday starting on July 19 on the USA Network. According to the latest rumors, there are discussions on making the show three hours just like Monday Night Raw.
The USA Network wanted the WWE to boost the ratings of SmackDown and the company came up with the idea of airing it live. They also decided to bring back the brand extension as the main roster houses the most number of superstars in its history.
Among the rumored plans for SmackDown is to add another hour to make it a three-hour show just like Raw, Daily Wrestling News reported. However, it is still subject to changes since many people backstage are opposed to the idea of doing another three-hour live show.
It is also noted that those same people are still against the WWE's three-hour Raw. They believe that adding an extra hour to their shows hurt the number of viewership. The interest to Raw and SmackDown has been declining for the past several years.
The addition of another hour to SmackDown will also be a problem on WWE's international television partners. Those companies are reportedly unwilling to pay for that extra hour. The decision will not likely come anytime soon but it could be revisited when negotiations for a new TV deal expires.
According to PWTorch, the latest episode of Raw had a 16.8 percent decline from the second hour to the final. The first hour of Raw had a four-week high of 3.371 million viewers while the second had 3.490 million viewers which are the highest in the last two months.
However, the third hour only had 2.903 million viewers that just show how fans get tired of watching a three-hour wrestling show. It will be a bad idea for the WWE to make SmackDown a three-hour show since the USA Network wants it to have better ratings.
Raw's third hour this week was also the second-least watched episode for 2016 just the 2.894 million viewers for the May 16 edition. Nonetheless, the WWE has to make their product more interesting as it is to make fans tune in consistently.
The WWE has entered the "New Era" wherein the product is gearing towards creating a show closely resembling NXT. The developmental show of the company has been praised by wrestling fans compared to the product shown weekly on Raw and SmackDown.
Check out the video below for the official announcement of SmackDown going live from Shane and Stephanie McMahon.