WWE SmackDown Ratings: Viewership, Demo Numbers All Down This Week

This week's edition of WWE SmackDown on FOX saw the show draw the second-lowest viewership to date since the move to FOX on October 4th.

According to the overnights posted to Showbuzz Daily, the December 13th edition of SmackDown drew an average of 2.338 million viewers across the broadcast's two hours. This is down from 2.446 million last week. The only edition of SmackDown on FOX to draw less viewers was the show two weeks ago on November 29th that finished with 2.336 million viewers. Yes, that's a difference of just 2,000 from this week.

In the rating demographics, SmackDown also took a dip this week. Among 18-49 year olds, the coveted advertising demo, SmackDown finished with a 0.65 rating, down from last week's 0.70 but still good enough for first place on network television Friday night. However, that 0.65 number is also the lowest 18-49 demo rating the show has done to date, just barely beating out its competition on the other networks on Friday night. Most of the head to head competition finished in the 0.50 and 0.60 range.

While SmackDown's viewership and demo ratings have dropped off considerably since the debut on October 4th, FOX and WWE can always point to the fact that the show is finishing first place on network television in the key ratings demo. Should SmackDown continue to fall in that department and begin to lose the night among 18-49 year olds, it would most likely set off some alarm bells at FOX.

For perspective, SmackDown's second week on FOX (throwing out the debut edition since it had a curiousity factor and legends returning) drew a 1.00 in the 18-49 ratings demographic. The show's rating in that demo has dropped 35% in the nine weeks since.

Moving on to the 18-34 year old ratings demographic this week, SmackDown drew a 0.40 rating. This is tied with the November 22nd broadcast for the lowest rating drawn among that demo since moving to FOX.

Though SmackDown did win the key ratings demos, the show finished second-to-last place among competition on ABC, NBC, and CBS in terms of pure viewership. Dateline NBC, The Blacklist, Hawaii Five-O, Magnum P.I., American Housewife, and 20/20 all topped SmackDown in viewership. The only network competition that SmackDown outdrew in viewership was ABC's Fresh Off The Boat which aired from 8:30 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. Eastern.

SmackDown this week served as the go-home television episode for WWE's PPV tomorrow night, TLC.

The card for WWE TLC is as follows:

• Non-Title Match
  WWE Universal Champion Bray Wyatt vs. The Miz
• TLC Match
  Roman Reigns vs. King Corbin
• WWE SmackDown Tag Team Championship Match - Ladder Match
  The New Day (c) vs. The Revival
• Aleister Black vs. Buddy Murphy
• WWE Women's Tag Team Championship Match - TLC Match
  The Kabuki Warriors (Asuka and Kairi Sane) (c) vs. Charlotte Flair and Becky Lynch
• Tables Match
  Rusev vs. Bobby Lashley (with Lana)
• WWE RAW Tag Team Championship Match
  The Viking Raiders (c) vs. TBD