WWE Raw to begin two hours early in Ottawa on Aug. 24 as SmackDown will be pre-taped

During the August 17 show of Monday Night Raw, Michael Cole on commentary announced that next week’s edition of the Red Brand will air at a special start time of 6 PM ET/ 3 PM ET and that WWE will pre-tape an episode of SmackDown at the same venue after Raw concludes.

The August 24 show from the Canadian Tire Centre in Ottawa will feature a Sunday Night’s Main Event contract signing between Bron Breakker and Oba Femi, a singles match between Stephanie Vaquer and Roxanne Perez, and the semi-finals of the WWE World Heavyweight Championship #1 Contenders Tournament: Penta versus AAA’s La Parka, and Rey Fenix versus Dragon Lee, with the winners advancing into the finals.

Fightful Select reports that a WWE source revealed that the schedule change was made to give the roster and crew some much-needed downtime following a hectic summer schedule, especially with the upcoming international tours, including the South American tour, on the horizon.

WWE is also planning a double taping at Rocket Arena in Cleveland, Ohio, on Friday, August 28; SmackDown will likely air early, similar to Raw, with the August 31 episode of RAW being taped immediately afterward.

The promotion’s South American tour will begin in Quito, Ecuador, on September 9, continue to Bogotá, Colombia on September 10, Buenos Aires, Argentina on September 11, and conclude in Santiago, Chile on September 12.

WWE has scheduled the upcoming Sunday Night’s Main Event for Sunday, September 6, 2026, at State Farm Arena in Atlanta, Georgia, which the promotion bills as its first-ever Sunday Night’s Main Event, and Money in the Bank is set for October 10, 2026, at the Smoothie King Center in New Orleans, Louisiana.

The August 24 edition of Monday Night Raw will air at an earlier time of 6 PM ET/3 PM PT from the Canadian Tire Centre in Ottawa, Ontario.