The decision to stretch “WWE SmackDown” back to a three-hour format at the start of 2026 has reopened a familiar debate about television length versus creative quality. While the extra hour gives WWE more advertising inventory and space to feature talent, it has also reignited concerns about pacing, audience fatigue, and whether longer weekly wrestling shows can consistently maintain momentum. With fans already split on the move, the discussion has drawn reactions from veterans who have lived through similar experiments in the past.
One of the most outspoken critics is Eric Bischoff, who has firsthand experience navigating three-hour wrestling television during his time running WCW. On his podcast, Bischoff questioned the long-term wisdom of the decision, bluntly stating, “I tell you what’s not going to be fun is three hours… Long-term, you don’t want to bore your audience to death.” He went on to explain that while networks often push for longer runtimes because of revenue, the creative cost can be severe, adding that expanding a show simply for financial reasons is “not a long-term strategy I would sign off on,” because, in his view, “creatively it kills you.”
