The fallout from SummerSlam continued on last Friday’s episode of SmackDown, as Jimmy Uso’s return had major implications for his twin brother Jey and Universal Champion Roman Reigns. However, the show faced some challenges in terms of viewership due to NFL pre-season games causing pre-emptions in certain markets.
According to a report by Wrestlenomics, the most recent episode of SmackDown was watched by 2,097,000 viewers and drew a .55 rating among the coveted 18-49 year old demographic. These numbers represent a 7% decline in viewership and an 11% decline in the rating compared to the previous week. While these declines are not ideal, they are slightly less than what the blue brand experienced when it was first pre-empted by the NFL in 2022.
It’s important to note that these Nielsen numbers do include audiences who watched SmackDown on delay or on a different channel, but it’s clear that a live broadcast in its usual time slot would have attracted a larger audience. Despite this temporary setback, SmackDown’s current viewership is still significantly higher than it was during the same week last year.
Here is a breakdown of SmackDown’s viewership numbers over the past year:
* Aired on FS1