Friday’s live Edge 25th Anniversary Celebration edition of WWE SmackDown on FOX drew an average of 2.094 million viewers, according to Nielsen, via Wrestlenomics. This is a slight decrease of 0.14% from the previous week’s viewership of 2.097 million viewers.
In the key 18-49 demographic, SmackDown maintained a rating of 0.55, the same as the previous week. This translates to approximately 723,000 viewers in the 18-49 age range, a slight increase of 0.42% from the previous week’s 720,000 viewers.
Despite being preempted in several markets due to NFL pre-season games, SmackDown still managed to rank as the #1 show on broadcast TV for Friday night, according to spoilertv.com. The show was preempted in 10 markets, including Atlanta, GA; Binghamton, NY; and Birmingham, AL. However, all preempted airings were counted by Nielsen in the reported viewership number.
Friday’s SmackDown episode marked the 25th Anniversary Celebration of WWE Hall of Famer Edge. The event took place at the Scotiabank Arena in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The show featured a lineup that included matches such as Charlotte Flair and Bianca Belair vs. WWE Women’s Champion IYO SKY and Bayley, as well as Edge vs. Sheamus in a first-time-ever matchup.
Looking at the viewership trend for SmackDown in 2023, Friday’s episode saw a 0.48% increase in viewership compared to the same week in 2022. Additionally, the 18-49 key demo rating for this week was up by 17.02% from the corresponding week in 2022.
Below is a list of the top 10 moments from Friday’s SmackDown episode:
- Edge’s 25th Anniversary Celebration
- Charlotte Flair and Bianca Belair vs. IYO SKY and Bayley
- The Grayson Waller Effect with Santos Escobar
- Rey Mysterio’s appearance
- Edge vs. Sheamus
- Match highlights
- Backstage segments
- Interviews with superstars
- Promo packages
- Surprise appearances
Despite the slight decrease in viewership, SmackDown continues to be a strong performer for FOX. The show has consistently ranked among the top-rated programs on broadcast TV and has maintained a key demo rating above the 2022 average.
For more updates and news on WWE SmackDown, follow me on Twitter at @prowrestlingw8r.
Sources: Wrestlenomics