SmackDown records its best audience on USA Network since September debut
Summary
– WWE SmackDown drew 1.652 million viewers, up 8.9% from last week’s episode.
– The show achieved a 0.49 rating in the 18-49 demographic, ranking first on cable for the day.
– Despite the gains, SmackDown’s overall viewership is down compared to the same week in 2023 when it aired on Fox.
Friday night’s episode of WWE SmackDown averaged 1.652 million viewers on the USA Network, marking an 8.9 percent increase from the previous week. This is the highest viewership since SmackDown’s debut episode on USA on September 13.
The show also drew a 0.49 rating in the key 18-49 demo, a 4.3 percent rise from last week. SmackDown finished first in cable television for the day, surpassing college football games on ESPN and FS1. However, SmackDown still faced strong competition from game five of the MLB NLDS, which aired on Fox and took the top spot for overall network and cable television ratings.
Compared to the same week in 2023, SmackDown’s viewership is down 31.7 percent, while its 18-49 rating has decreased by 21 percent due to the move from Fox to USA Network.