Despite Strong Competition, SmackDown Hits Highest Audience Since Early October
Summary
– SmackDown averaged 1.428 million viewers, a 0.7% increase from last week.
– The show recorded a 0.42 rating in the 18-49 demographic, the lowest since moving back to USA Network.
– Viewership fell by 32.6% compared to the same week in 2023 when it aired on Fox.
Friday night’s WWE SmackDown brought in 1.428 million viewers on USA Network, marking a modest 0.7% increase from the prior week. This represents the best viewership for SmackDown since October 11, a positive sign as WWE heads into Crown Jewel weekend. However, the 18-49 demo rating came in at 0.42, down 2.3% from last week, tying for the lowest mark since the show’s return to USA Network. The last time the rating was this low was during a best-of episode in December 2023.
The taped edition of SmackDown, which aired as a lead-in to Crown Jewel, faced tough competition, going up against college football on Fox and an NBA game on ESPN. These rival broadcasts likely impacted the ratings, especially in key demographics.
Compared to this week last year, when SmackDown was still on Fox, the overall viewership saw a sharp decline of 32.6%, while the 18-49 rating dropped by 20.8%. The move to USA Network, combined with strong competition, appears to have contributed to these significant year-over-year declines.
