Saturday Night’s Main Event is scheduled as a two‑hour TV special. This refers to the main show itself, not including any pre‑ or post‑show programming.
Main show length
The current NBC/Peacock version of WWE Saturday Night’s Main Event runs from 8:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. Eastern Time, making the main broadcast 2 hours long. WWE has publicly indicated that it is keeping the show at this classic two‑hour duration even for major cards.
Pre‑show and extras
Recent schedules list a separate pre‑show or “countdown” block of about two hours before the main show, plus a post‑show of around one hour after, but those are additional programs around the core two‑hour event. If attending in person, arenas typically list a start time around 7:30 p.m. local with doors opening roughly 90 minutes earlier, and the in‑arena experience can run close to 3 hours including breaks and untelevised segments.