WWE Smackdown rating/viewership for last week

Friday’s live Royal Rumble go-home edition of WWE SmackDown drew an average of 2.544 million viewers on FOX, according to Nielsen, via Showbuzz Daily.

This final number is up 12.72% from the previous week’s final viewership of 2.257 million viewers.

Friday’s SmackDown drew a 0.67 rating in the key 18-49 demographic. This is up 21.81% from the previous week’s 0.55 rating. This past week’s 0.67 key demo rating represents 878,000 18-49 viewers, which is up 22.28% from the 718,000 18-49 viewers that the previous week’s 0.55 key demo rating drew, according to Wrestlenomics.

SmackDown ranked #1 in ratings for the key 18-49 demographic on network TV, tied with Senor De Cielos VIII, and even with the previous week’s #1 ranking. SmackDown ranked #2 in the 18-34 demo this week, up from the previous week’s #3 ranking. SmackDown ranked #1 in the 25-54 demo, up from the previous week’s #3 ranking. SmackDown came in at #6 for the night in viewership on network TV, up from the previous week’s #7 ranking. Shark Tank on ABC topped the day on network TV in viewership with an average of 4.223 million viewers.

SmackDown drew the highest key demo rating since December 25, 2020, which benefited from an NFL game lead-in. Excluding that episode, Friday’s show was the highest key demo since March 27, 2020. Friday’s show drew well over the 2022 FOX average in viewership and the key demo rating. Additional cable sports competition on Friday included two NBA games on NBA-TV, two NHL games on ESPN, one College Basketball game on ESPN2, College Wrestling on Big Ten Network, X-Games Aspen 2023 coverage on ESPN, Australian Open Tennis on ESPN, Australian Open Tennis on ESPN2, PGA Tour Farmer’s Insurance Open on The Golf Channel, Liga MX Soccer on FOX Deportes, and U.S. Men’s Championship Figure Skating on USA Network. Friday’s SmackDown viewership was up 12.72% from the previous week, and the key demo rating was up 21.81% from the previous week.

Viewership for Friday’s SmackDown episode was up 14.75% from the same week in 2022, while Friday’s 18-49 key demo rating was up 19.64% from the same week in 2022. The 2022 episode was also the Royal Rumble go-home show.

Erin Burnett Outfront on CNN topped the day on the Cable Top 150 with a 0.34 key demo rating, also drawing 2.165 million viewers. Jesse Watters Primetime on FOX News topped the night on cable in viewership with 3.354 million viewers, also drawing a 0.23 key demo rating.

Friday’s Royal Rumble go-home edition of SmackDown aired live from the Sames Auto Arena in Laredo, TX, with the following line-up advertised ahead of time – the final build for Royal Rumble, Karrion Kross vs. Rey Mysterio, Legado del Fantasma vs. Imperium and Hit Row vs. Sheamus and Drew McIntyre in #1 Contenders Tag Team Tournament Semi-finals matches, plus Solo Sikoa vs. Kevin Owens, which was the main event.