After spending the last several months of 2025 with a run time of two hours, "WWE SmackDown" has gone back to three hours long to kick off 2026. While it's unclear whether the change will be permanent or will switch back to two hours down the line, it's a move that has proved to be polarizing with the wrestling fanbase and pundits, some of whom feel three hours is too long for a wrestling show.
One person that agrees with that is Eric Bischoff, a man who himself once helmed "WCW Monday Nitro" when the show ran for three hours in 1998 and 1999. While discussing the Road to WrestleMania on the latest "83 Weeks," Bischoff remarked at how much fun things could be leading into WWE's show before revealing his cynicism towards WWE and USA Network making "SmackDown" a three hour show once again.
"I tell you what's not going to be fun is three hours," Bischoff said. "My god. Why? Does anybody know why...Long-term, you don't want to bore your audience to death...And you said it, leave them wanting more. It's hard to leave people wanting more when you've planted them like a f*****g tree on the couch for three hours. And you want to leave them wanting more?
"It's a little challenging folks. Not a long-term strategy I would sign off on. I get the revenue part, I was forced into that. Brad Siegel, Ted Turner. 'Two hours? Now we're doing three hours.' 'I don't want to do three hours.' 'Doesn't matter, do three hours, because the revenue can support it.' But man, creatively it kills you."
If you use any of the quotes in this article, please credit "83 Weeks" and provide a h/t to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription
