The Blue brand of WWE, known as SmackDown, used to play as the B show for a long period of time. All this changed after WWE announced the brand split back in 2016. Ever since then, the blue brand has competed and even, on multiple occasions, gone past Monday Night Raw in ratings. WWE made a major step regarding the brand when they signed a contract with the USA Network for the airing of the show.
It seems like the company now wants to expand the brand even more. With Monday Night Raw moving to Netflix, there is going to be a major spike in its ratings. To match up with the red brand’s audience and to connect to a wider audience, they have announced that SmackDown is going to expand to 3 hours in 2025.
The Blue brand has been known for its fast-paced and crisp storytelling in the two hours during which it airs. However, this also leaves a lot of questions in the minds of the people viewing it. Sometimes the two hours are not enough for the whole story to be covered. This leaves fans wanting more. However, there is a percentage of the WWE universe that gets bored of the cliffhangers and does not tune in next week. This might be a move to not only expand the TV ratings but also protect it.
It seems like the SmackDown brand is finally being rewarded for its amazing ratings. The expansion of both brands is a big step for the company. The first three-hour episode of SmackDown is set to air on January 3, 2025, from Phoenix, Arizona.
Real Reason Why FOX Cancelled WWE SmackDown
When SmackDown moved to the Fox network in 2019, WWE promoted it as a very big move. They had signed a 5-year contract valued at 205 million per year. However, it seems that there will be no type of contract renewal, and it is not because of the television ratings.
While speaking on Wrestling Observer Radio, Dave Meltzer revealed that Fox chose to cancel SmackDown on its network. He further added that they are actually losing out on cash, then making more.
Even being number one most nights, they were losing money on the deal at $205 million a year, so that’s why they cancelled them. It wasn’t over ratings; it was over expense.
Despite Fox being number one on Friday nights thanks to SmackDown, they were losing out on more money on the maintenance of the show. The high ratings, which the blue brand carries, cost them a lot of money. Hence, WWE has decided to return SmackDown back to the USA Network, where it was before its move. With Monday Night RAW moving to Netflix, it seems like both these brands have a new home to be streamed.
