WWE: Why Raw and SmackDown Need the Same Weekly Duration

Since the debut of Raw in 1993 and the debut of SmackDown in 1999, the WWE has had two premiere shows that have provided some of the most memorable moments in sports entertainment history.

The WWE has been building storylines around Raw and SmackDown for years and throughout all of the changes these shows have seen, they are still standing. And since last summer’s brand split, both Raw and SmackDown have offered superstars you can only see on that particular show.

But while having certain superstars on a certain show will make fans want to tune in and watch their favorites, there is an issue that goes widely unnoticed by many. For many years, both Raw and SmackDown lasted two hours each week. But over the past few years, the red brand has more TV time to fill.

Raw was expanded to three hours per week with the first three-hour broadcast coming on July 23, 2012. Many believe Raw being three hours is too much and sometimes, filling three hours every week can be very challenging. But while it was easier to fill those three hours when there weren’t specific brands for superstars, it has become even more challenging since last summer’s initial brand split.

With essentially half the roster on Raw and the other half on SmackDown, filling three hours every week becomes next to impossible at times. The show often times drags on with too many pointless segments just to fill TV time. But while Raw deals with having too much time, one could argue SmacKDown has to deal with not having enough time.

SmackDown has remained two hours each week since its inception in 1999, but with only a portion of the roster residing on Tuesday nights, that puts the blue brand between a rock and a hard place at times. Often times, SmackDown is unable to put some of its best talent on TV every week due to the simple fact that it’s time constrained.

It makes the blue brand have to get more creative about how it’s booked and which segments need to be on TV and which don’t. It becomes frustrating, at times, as a fan when some of your favorite superstars aren’t on TV, but 10-15 minute promo segments are.

The blue brand has dealt with its time constraint relatively well, however, and its issue could be solved by just cutting out a segment here or there to make room for others. But the red brand is more challenged than that. Raw has more than an hour of extra time to fill compared to SmackDown, but there is a way to help Raw out.