Drew McIntyre closes out SmackDown standing tall over Cody Rhodes as viewership slides during Halloween competition
Summary
– WWE SmackDown drew 933,000 viewers on October 31, down from 1.147 million the previous week
– The P18–49 demo dropped to 0.20 from 0.29
– Despite the drop, SmackDown ranked first among all cable shows that night
The October 31 episode of Friday Night SmackDown saw Drew McIntyre once again make a powerful statement at the expense of Cody Rhodes. Their heated contract signing ended with McIntyre leaving Rhodes down on the mat, signaling his intentions ahead of their Undisputed WWE Championship clash at Saturday Night’s Main Event.
According to Programming Insider, the Halloween edition of SmackDown averaged 933,000 viewers on the USA Network, a notable decline from the 1.147 million viewers it had the previous week. The P18–49 rating also dropped to 0.20 from 0.29.
Even with the decline, SmackDown still ranked first among all cable programs for the night. FOX’s broadcast of Game 6 of the World Series dominated overall viewership, drawing 17.429 million viewers and a 3.52 rating in the key demographic. The combination of Halloween festivities and a major baseball game provided intense competition for WWE’s blue brand.
Despite the ratings slide, WWE delivered a strong storyline close with McIntyre asserting dominance over Rhodes. Fans now turn their attention to Saturday Night’s Main Event, where the Undisputed Title could change hands under no-disqualification and count-out conditions.
