WWE SmackDown ratings down against NCAA March Madness Sweet 16

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.