WWE SmackDown Ratings: Show Places First In Target Demo This Week
This week's WWE SmackDown overnight ratings and viewership figures are in, and the numbers are [...]
This week's WWE SmackDown overnight ratings and viewership figures are in, and the numbers are extremely consistent with what the broadcast has been drawing the last several weeks. According to the overnights published to Showbuzz Daily, SmackDown averaged 2.106 million viewers this week. This is slightly below the 2.130 million the show drew last week, though we'd expect this week's figures to surpass last week's once final numbers come in on Monday.
The 2.106 million viewers tally comes from a first hour that drew 2.141 million viewers and a second hour that did 2.071 million. In terms of pure viewership, SmackDown's average of 2.106 million ranked eighth place across network television on Friday night. The show was outdrawn by Shark Tank, 20/20, MacGyver, Magnum P.I., Blue Bloods, Weakest Link, and Dateline NBC.
In the coveted 18-49 age group ratings demographic, SmackDown did a 0.55 rating this week, down slightly from the 0.60 the show did last week in the target demo. That 0.55 rating was first place for the night among network competition.
Among 18-34 year olds, SmackDown did a 0.30 demo rating. This tied for first place among network competition alongside Shark Tank and MacGyver.
The headline match this week was Sasha Banks defending the SmackDown Women's Championship against Carmella. The bout was set-up in the opening segment of the show.
Next week's SmackDown has been moved to FS1 due to the PAC-12 Championship Game. SmackDown will likely experience a massive dropoff in viewership and ratings due to this move, which is what has happened both other times the show has been moved to FS1 (this past October 23rd, as well as October 2019, for the World Series).
What did you think of this week's SmackDown? Let us know in the comments section below! Additionally, you can give me a follow on Twitter @ryandroste for all things WWE and AEW, and don't forget to check out my weekly wrestling podcast, Top Rope Nation.