The latest WWE and AEW News and Results
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Subscribers can now get my thoughts on the wrestling ratings for the past week with some year-over-year comparisons for WWE Raw, WWE SmackDown and AEW Dynamite, how the shows stacked up against sports and entertainment competition, and more.
Friday’s WWE SmackDown from Saudi Arabia averaged 2.147 million viewers on Fox, down 1.8 percent from the prior week. It’s the show’s third-lowest audience total of 2024 to date.
The show drew a 0.56 rating in the 18-49 demo, down 5.1 percent from the prior week. This is the lowest rating SmackDown has done in 2024.
The episode, which was taped in advance, took place in Jeddah for the first time ever and was the go-home show for Saturday’s King & Queen of the Ring.
It went head-to-head with game two of the NBA’s Western Conference Finals on both TNT and TruTV that averaged 6.27 million viewers combined (1.99 rating in 18-49) as well as game two of the NHL’s Eastern Conference Finals on ESPN that averaged 2.12 million viewers (0.66 in 18-49).
As compared to the same week in 2023, SmackDown’s overall viewership was down 0.5 percent but its 18-49 rating was up 7.7 percent.
Listed below are the last 11 weeks of overall viewership totals and 18-49 demo ratings for SmackDown, along with the 10-week average in both categories. This week’s show was down 5.9 percent in overall viewers and down 12.5 percent in 18-49 as compared to the recent averages.
Friday night’s episode of WWE SmackDown averaged 2.186 million viewers on Fox, up 2.7 percent from the previous week. It’s the largest audience total for the show since April 19.
SmackDown drew a 0.59 rating in the 18-49 demo. That’s down 4.8 percent from last week and is the lowest rating the show has done in that category since April 26. It’s SmackDown’s second-lowest rating so far in 2024.
The show aired head-to-head with the NBA playoffs and NHL playoffs, both of which were deep into the conference semifinals.
As compared to the same week in 2023, SmackDown’s overall viewership was up 2.5 percent while its 18-49 rating was up 11.3 percent.
Listed below are the last 11 weeks of overall viewership and 18-49 demo ratings for SmackDown, as well as the 10-week average in both categories. This week’s show was down 5.2 percent in overall viewers and down 9.2 percent in 18-49 as compared to the recent averages.
Friday night’s episode of WWE SmackDown averaged 2.128 million viewers on Fox, down 0.9 percent from the previous week. It’s the lowest audience total the show has done since December 22 of last year.
SmackDown drew a 0.62 rating in the 18-49 demo. That’s up 3.3 percent from the previous week and is the highest rating the show has done in that category since April 19.
The show finished third on the sports ratings charts for the day trailing two NBA games on ESPN. Portions of both games went head-to-head with SmackDown. The early game averaged 4.5 million viewers and a 1.37 rating in 18-49 while the later game topped the charts with 5.2 million viewers and a 1.71 rating.
As compared to the same week in 2023, SmackDown’s overall audience was down one percent while its 18-49 rating was up 10.7 percent.
Listed below are the last 11 weeks of overall viewership totals and 18-49 ratings for SmackDown, as well as the 10-week average in both categories. This week’s show was down 8.6 percent in overall viewers and 6.5 percent in 18-49 as compared to recent averages.
Friday night’s WWE SmackDown, the go-home show for Backlash, averaged 2.148 million viewers. That’s up 0.2 percent from the previous week but is still SmackDown’s second-lowest audience total of the year.
The episode was taped earlier in the day in Lyon, France before airing on Fox. It drew a 0.60 rating in the 18-49 demo, up 3.4 percent from last week. It ties SmackDown’s second-lowest rating of 2024 in that category.
The show went up against NBA and NHL playoff games head-to-head.
As compared to the same week in 2023, SmackDown’s overall viewership was up 4.3 percent while its 18-49 rating was up 15.4 percent.
Listed below are the last 11 weeks of overall viewership totals and 18-49 demo ratings for SmackDown, as well as the 10-week average in both categories. This week’s show was down 8.2 percent in overall viewers and up 9.1 percent in 18-49 as compared to the recent averages.
Friday night’s episode of WWE SmackDown averaged 2.143 million viewers on FOX, down 8.1 percent from the previous week. It’s the lowest audience for the show since December 22 of last year.
SmackDown finished fifth on the TV sports charts for the day with a 0.58 rating in the 18-49 demo. That’s down 7.9 percent from last week and is also the lowest rating in that category since the December 22 episode.
SmackDown’s night one of the WWE Draft aired head to head with ABC’s coverage of the NFL Draft which averaged 2.69 million viewers and a 0.61 rating in 18-49. Portions of two separate NBA games on ESPN also aired at the same time as the show and they averaged 2.169 million viewers and 0.73 for the early game and 3.34 million viewers and a 1.17 rating for the late game, which topped the daily charts.
As compared to the same week in 2023, the overall audience was down 13.3 percent while the 18-49 rating was down 13.4 percent. It’s the first time since November of 2022 that SmackDown has had a year-over-year decline of at least 10 percent in both categories.
Listed below are the last 11 weeks of overall viewership and 18-49 demo ratings for WWE SmackDown on FOX as well as the 10-week average in both categories. This week’s show was down 10 percent in overall viewers and 14.7 percent in 18-49 as compared to recent averages.
Friday night’s episode of WWE Smackdown averaged 2.333 million viewers on FOX, down 6.6% from the previous week. It’s the lowest audience for the show since March 29th.
Smackdown averaged a 0.63 rating in the 18-49 demo. That’s down 17.1% from last week and also marks the lowest rating in that category since the March 29th episode.
This show featured only a short taped interview with Cody Rhodes from earlier in the day in London and no appearances from Roman Reigns or The Rock. It also faced strong sports competition from the NBA play-in games.
As compared to the same week in 2023, the overall viewership was up 7.3% while the 18-49 rating was up 16.7%. The show last year went against the NBA playoffs.
Listed below are the last 11 weeks of overall viewership and 18-49 demo ratings for WWE Smackdown on FOX as well as the 10-week average in both categories. This week’s show was down 3.1% in overall viewers and 8.7% in 18-49 as compared to recent averages.
Friday night’s WWE SmackDown averaged 2.499 million viewers on Fox, down 3.9 percent from the previous week. It’s still the second-largest audience total the show has done since February 16.
SmackDown drew a 0.76 rating in the 18-49 demo. Though down 1.3 percent from last week, this is the second-highest rating the show has done in that category since August 25 of last year.
On the sports viewing charts for Friday, SmackDown ranked second behind The Masters on ESPN. The golf tournament, which aired earlier in the day, averaged nearly 3.7 million viewers and drew a 0.78 rating in 18-49.
As compared to the same week in 2023, SmackDown’s overall viewership was up 10.3 percent while its 18-49 rating was up 31 percent.
Listed below are the last 11 weeks of overall viewership and 18-49 demo ratings for SmackDown, as well as the 10-week average in both categories. This week’s show was up four percent in overall viewers and up 10.1 percent in 18-49 as compared to the recent averages.
Friday night’s WrestleMania go-home episode of WWE SmackDown averaged 2.6 million viewers on Fox, up 18.1 percent from the previous week. It’s the best audience total for the show since August 25 of last year (which was a tribute to Bray Wyatt and Terry Funk).
SmackDown topped all of network television, more than doubling the closest competition, with a 0.77 rating in the 18-49 demo. That’s up 28.3 percent from last week and is also the highest rating the show has done since the August 25 episode.
These strong numbers came despite the fact that the women’s Final Four March Madness game between Iowa and UConn set a record for a women’s basketball game with over 14 million viewers across ESPN and ESPN2, partially airing head-to-head with SmackDown.
As compared to the same week in 2023, SmackDown’s viewership was up 5.4 percent while its 18-49 rating was up 11.6 percent. That was the post-WrestleMania episode of the show, which is usually one of the highest rated of the year.
Listed below are the last 11 weeks of overall viewership and 18-49 demo ratings for SmackDown, as well as the 10-week average in both categories. This week’s show was up 8.7 percent in overall viewers and up 13.2 percent in 18-49 as compared to the recent averages.
Friday night’s episode of WWE SmackDown averaged 2.201 million viewers on Fox, down 1.5 percent from the previous week. It’s the lowest audience total the show has done on Fox since December 22 of last year.
SmackDown did not feature an appearance by The Rock or Roman Reigns on Friday night. It faced competition from the Sweet 16 round of NCAA March Madness.
The episode drew a 0.60 rating in the 18-49 demo. That’s down 1.6 percent from last week and is also SmackDown’s lowest rating in that category since the December 22 episode.
As compared to the same week in 2023, SmackDown’s overall viewership was down 7.3 percent while its 18-49 rating was down 9.1 percent. It’s the first time since November 10 that the show has had a year-over-year decline in both categories.
Listed below are the last 11 weeks of overall viewership and 18-49 demo ratings for SmackDown, along with the 10-week average in both categories. This week’s show was down 8.3 percent in overall viewers and down 11.8 percent in 18-49 as compared to the recent averages.
Friday night’s episode of WWE SmackDown averaged 2.235 million viewers on Fox, down 4.5 percent from the previous week. It’s the lowest viewership total that SmackDown has drawn in 2024 so far.
SmackDown drew a 0.61 rating in the 18-49 demo. That’s down 10.3 percent from last week and is also the lowest rating the show has done in that category this year.
The episode was headlined by a face-to-face confrontation between Roman Reigns and Cody Rhodes. It faced competition from NCAA March Madness which aired on various networks.
As compared to the same week in 2023, which also went against NCAA basketball competition, SmackDown’s overall audience was up 0.7 percent while its 18-49 rating was up 5.2 percent.
Listed below are the last 11 weeks of overall viewership and 18-49 demo ratings for SmackDown, as well as the 10-week average in both categories. This week’s show was down 3.8 percent in overall viewers and down 10.3 percent in 18-49 as compared to the recent averages.
Friday night’s episode of WWE SmackDown averaged 2.34 million viewers on Fox, down 4.1 percent from the previous week. It’s the lowest audience total for the show since February 23 and is SmackDown’s second-lowest viewership of the year so far.
SmackDown drew a 0.68 rating in the 18-49 demo. That’s down 1.4 percent from last week but is SmackDown’s second-highest rating since February 16. It’s SmackDown’s fifth-highest rating of 2024 in that category.
As compared to the same week in 2023, SmackDown’s overall viewership was up 3.6 percent while its 18-49 rating was up 15.3 percent.
Listed below are the last 11 weeks of overall viewership and 18-49 demo ratings for SmackDown, as well as the 10-week average in both categories. This week’s show was down 4.1 percent in overall viewers but steady in 18-49 as compared to the recent averages.
With the show headlined by Cody Rhodes & Seth Rollins confronting The Rock & Roman Reigns, SmackDown’s ratings were up on Friday night.
The episode averaged 2.439 million viewers on Fox, up 3.9 percent from the previous week. It’s the largest audience total the show has done since February 21.
SmackDown topped the sports television charts with a 0.69 rating in the 18-49 demo. That’s up 7.8 percent from last week and is also the best rating the show has done since the February 21 episode.
The closest competition was an NBA game that aired after SmackDown was over that averaged 1.6 million viewers and drew a 0.50 rating in 18-49 on ESPN.
As compared to the same week in 2023, SmackDown was up 5.1 percent in overall viewers and up 9.5 percent in the 18-49 demo. It’s the first week in the last three that SmackDown has had a year-over-year viewership increase but the 15th straight week the 18-49 rating has been up year-over-year.
Listed below are the last 11 weeks of overall viewership and 18-49 demo ratings for SmackDown, as well as the 10-week average in both categories. This week’s show was up 4.6 percent in overall viewers and up 7.8 percent in 18-49 as compared to the recent averages.
Friday’s episode of WWE SmackDown averaged 2.348 million viewers on Fox, up 3.3 percent from the previous week. It’s the second-lowest audience total the show has done so far in 2024.
SmackDown drew a 0.64 rating in the 18-49 demo. That’s up 3.2 percent from last week but ties the third-lowest rating the show has done so far this year.
As reported by Wrestlenomics, the episode peaked in the third quarter, which featured the culmination of a long promo segment with The Rock and Roman Reigns. That quarter averaged 2.75 million viewers and a 0.75 rating in 18-49, but SmackDown fell to 2.2 million and a 0.57 demo rating by the end of the show.
As compared to the same week in 2023, SmackDown’s overall audience was down 4.2 percent while its 18-49 rating was up 8.5 percent. It’s the 13th straight week that SmackDown’s 18-49 audience was up year-over-year on Fox. But the overall viewership was down year-over-year on five of those weeks, showing that SmackDown’s audience is skewing a lot younger.
Listed below are the last 11 weeks of overall viewership and 18-49 demo ratings for SmackDown, as well as the 10-week average in both categories. This week’s show was up 1.8 percent in overall viewers and up 1.6 percent in 18-49 as compared to the recent averages.
Friday night’s episode of WWE SmackDown averaged 2.272 million viewers on Fox, down 11.1 percent from the previous week. It’s the lowest audience total the show has done so far in 2024.
SmackDown drew a 0.62 rating in the 18-49 demo. That’s down 17.3 percent from last week and matches the lowest rating the show has done in that category for 2024 to date. SmackDown did top all network programming in the key demo despite the week-to-week drop.
With WWE running its Elimination Chamber event in Perth the next day, this SmackDown episode was taped a week in advance. Previous taped shows had not seen this type of decline, however.
As compared to the same week in 2023, SmackDown’s overall audience was down 5.7 percent while its 18-49 rating was exactly even. It’s the first time this year the show hasn’t had a year-over-year increase in the 18-49 demo.
Listed below are the last 11 weeks of overall viewership and 18-49 demo ratings for SmackDown, as well as the 10-week average in both categories. This week’s show was down 1.4 percent in overall viewers and down 1.6 percent in 18-49 as compared to the recent averages.
