Viewership and Key Demo Ratings Rise Despite Second-Lowest USA Network Performance
Summary
– WWE SmackDown averaged 1.418 million viewers, a 2.9% increase from last week.
– The 18-49 demo rating rose to 0.43, up 2.4%, despite going against the World Series.
– SmackDown’s numbers improved by 23.8% in viewership and 22.9% in the key demo compared to 2023.
Friday’s WWE SmackDown episode on USA Network attracted 1.418 million viewers, a 2.9% increase from the previous week. This bump, while positive, still represents the second-lowest audience since SmackDown’s return to the network. SmackDown also earned a 0.43 rating in the 18-49 demographic, up 2.4% from last week but similarly ranking as the second-lowest since the show’s September move.
SmackDown faced tough competition, going head-to-head with game one of the World Series between the Los Angeles Dodgers and New York Yankees, which averaged over 15 million viewers, the highest viewership for game one since 2017. This is the first time these iconic teams have met in the World Series since 1981.
Compared to the same week in 2023, when SmackDown was moved to FS1 due to World Series coverage, this week’s episode saw a substantial boost, with viewership up 23.8% and the 18-49 demo rating up 22.9%. Given the networks’ similar household reach, the FS1-to-USA comparison offers a clearer look at growth.
