More on PPVs Starting Earlier, FOX/SmackDown, Brand Split To End?

It was previously reported that according to Mike Johnson of PWInsider WWE has confirmed that all PPVs going forward will be starting earlier as it will be beginning at 7PM ET / 4PM PT with the Kickoff Show beginning an hour prior. However, this doesn’t mean that all of the PPVs will be four hours in length as the company is still saying that the run-time will be between 3 – 3 1/2 hours, but that they could go longer (or shorter) as needed. The “big” PPVs such as WrestleMania and SummerSlam will obviously extend beyond the three-hour window, likely a five-hour window. It was believed that the new start time would be 6PM ET for the big four and 7PM ET for the others, however PWInsider confirmed that all of the PPVs will start at 7PM ET. The big four will likely go past four hours with a Kickoff Show likely lasting two hours, while the other shows will be in the 3-4 hour range with a one-hour Kickoff.
According to Justin Barrasso of Sports Illustrated, if and when WWE officially signs their deal with FOX to air SmackDown and with RAW likely remaining under NBC Universal’s umbrella, the brand split is likely to end. The belief is that both FOX and NBC will want access to the full roster of talent making the brand split difficult to continue.
Also, with SmackDown likely headed to FOX, one aspect of the show’s broadcast that reportedly has been confirmed is that the show will never have an overrun. Not only does FOX air their 10 o’clock news immediately after the SmackDown’s time-slot, but if they overran, they would need to advise each of their affiliate stations every week that that has happened.