Absence of Big Names Like John Cena and Roman Reigns Might Have Played a Role
WWE SmackDown’s recent episode witnessed a significant dip in its viewership. Averaging 2.094 million viewers on Fox, the show experienced a 14.3 percent decline from the previous week. This ties with the lowest audience count for a Fox broadcast of SmackDown since May 5.
In terms of demographics, SmackDown secured a 0.53 rating in the 18-49 age group, marking an 18.5 percent drop from the preceding week. While this is the lowest rating for the show since May 26, it’s noteworthy that it still managed to double the ratings of everything else aired on network television during the same slot.
When juxtaposed with the same week in 2022, SmackDown’s ratings show an 11.5 percent decrease in overall viewership and a 7.2 percent drop in the 18-49 demographic. This marks the first instance since January 6 where the show has seen a year-over-year decline in both categories. Furthermore, it’s the first time since January 20 that either of the categories has witnessed a dip.
A potential reason for this decline could be the absence of major WWE figures. Notably, John Cena, who had made a return the previous week, was missing from this episode due to his commitment to WWE’s Superstar Spectacle live event in India. The Universal Champion, Roman Reigns, was also not featured in this episode.
