WWE CEO Nick Khan says the company is open to making a big change to SmackDown.
This would take the form of an extra hour for the blue brand, which would bring it on par with Raw.
The move from two to three hours for the red brand is still divisive today, with many fans thinking it is just too long for a single episode of a wrestling show.
Despite this, speaking at the JP Morgan Global Technology, Media & Communications Conference in Boston, Massachusetts, Khan said SmackDown could still get the same extra time.
Nick Khan said, “We’re still open to a third hour for Smackdown.” He talked up Amazon. He said Smackdown as well as Raw “can go on any night of the week.”
Nick Khan said, "We're still open to a third hour for Smackdown."
He talked up Amazon. He said Smackdown as well as Raw "can go on any night of the week."
— Brandon Thurston (@BrandonThurston) May 23, 2023
Khan also noted that while there are no plans to change the current three-hour format of Raw, there have been discussions about what to do with the final hour, saying it could be made more “adult.”
Nick Khan confirmed possibility of new Lucha Libre show
As well as extra time for SmackDown, Khan has also recently spoken about the possibility of adding a whole new show.
During an appearance at MoffettNathanson’s Inaugural Technology, Media, and Telecom Conference, he revealed there have been internal discussions about creating a new program highlighting lucha libre.
This comes on the heels of the company seeing success with the Hispanic community through both the relaunch of the LWO – fronted by Rey Mysterio – and the promotion’s huge return to Puerto Rico with Backlash.
“Ideally for us, we would go every day of the week, as long as there is a unique product we can put on the air and resonate. Something we’ve discussed internally; lucha libre, which is big in Mexico and Latin America, to start something like that down the road.”
H/T to Fightful for the above transcription.