WWE Smackdown is back to three jam-packed hours as the show broadcasts live from Buffalo. Find out how to watch for free.

The first SmackDown of 2026 is also the first three-hour episode. Here's the full card, start time, and how to watch from Buffalo on USA Network.

This is Wrestling Inc.'s live coverage for "WWE SmackDown" on January 2, 2026, with a Women's United States Championship between Chelsea Green & Giulia!

WWE Friday Night Smackdown airs on Friday nights at 8 p.m. There are several ways to watch with a free live stream. Friday, Dec. 19 will serve as the 51st episode of Season 27, and it will air on USA.

WWE SmackDown returns to three hours for its first broadcast of the year on January 2, 2026. Cody Rhodes and Drew McIntyre set the stipulations for Three Stages of Hell.

The most recent episode of Friday Night SmackDown was the first edition of WWE's blue show in 2026. It was arguably one of the best installments of the program in the past few months, especially with the return of Randy Orton and Matt Cardona (fka Zack Ryder).

The Chadster previews tonight's WWE SmackDown, which will surely be the greatest episode ever! Tony Khan could never! 8ET/7CT on USA! 劣

Programming Insider reports that WWE SmackDown on December 26 drew 1.138 million viewers on USA Network. This number is up from the 995,000 viewers the show drew on December 19th. Friday’s episode scored a 0.27 rating in the 18 to 49 demographic, up from the 0.21 rating last Friday.

The December 19 pre-taped edition of WWE SmackDown averaged 995,000 viewers on USA Network, down 19.8 percent from the previous week. It’s the lowest audience total for the show since Halloween night.