WWE SmackDown’s Epic Return to FOX Sees Surge in Viewership, But Key Demo Rating Takes a Hit

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WWE SmackDown Viewership Up for the Return to FOX, Key Demo Rating Down

Friday’s live edition of WWE SmackDown drew an average of 2.323 million viewers on FOX, according to Nielsen, via Wrestlenomics. This final number is up 88.86% from the previous week’s final viewership of 1.230 million viewers for the live show on FS1 cable TV, and up 0.61% from the 2.309 million viewers that the last FOX broadcast episode drew on July 14.

Friday’s SmackDown drew a 0.61 rating in the key 18-49 demographic. This is up 69.44% from the previous week’s 0.36 rating on FS1, and down 1.61% from the 0.62 key demo rating that the last FOX episode on July 14. This past week’s 0.61 key demo rating represents 801,000 18-49 viewers, which is down 0.86% from the 808,000 18-49 viewers that the 0.62 key demo rating drew for the July 14 show.

Friday’s SmackDown drew the sixteenth-highest total audience of the year so far, for FOX airings, and the eighth-highest key demo rating of the year, tied with two other episodes. Friday’s show drew more than the 2022 FOX average in viewership and the key demo rating. Friday’s SmackDown viewership was up 0.61% from the last FOX episode, and the key demo rating was down 1.61% from the last FOX episode.

Viewership for Friday’s SmackDown episode was up 5.93% from the same week in 2022, while Friday’s 18-49 key demo rating was up 17.30% from the same week in 2022. The 2022 episode was the SummerSlam go-home show.

Friday’s SmackDown aired live from the Smoothie King Center in New Orleans, Louisiana, with the following line-up advertised ahead of time – Karrion Kross vs. Karl Anderson, the finals of the WWE United States Title Invitational with Santos Escobar vs. 2023 WWE Hall of Famer Rey Mysterio, plus Undisputed WWE Universal Champion Roman Reigns and Jey Uso preparing for Tribal Combat at SummerSlam. The main event ended up being Jey vs. Grayson Waller.

Below is our 2023 SmackDown Viewership Tracker, along with the Top 10 moments from Friday’s show:

  • January 6 Episode: 2.257 million viewers with a 0.53 rating in the 18-49 demographic
  • January 13 Episode: 2.326 million viewers with a 0.55 rating in the 18-49 demographic
  • January 20 Episode: 2.257 million viewers with a 0.55 rating in the 18-49 demographic
  • January 27 Episode: 2.544 million viewers with a 0.67 rating in the 18-49 demographic
  • February 3 Episode: 2.384 million viewers with a 0.61 rating in the 18-49 demographic (Post-Royal Rumble episode)
  • February 10 Episode: 2.468 million viewers with a 0.64 rating in

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