WWE SmackDown ratings down on Black Friday

Friday night’s WWE SmackDown averaged 1.341 million viewers on USA Network, down 15 percent from the previous week. It’s the second-lowest audience total the show has done since moving back to that network in September.

The episode was taped in advance and was the go-home show for Survivor Series. It finished first on cable, and fourth overall on television in prime time, with a 0.40 rating in the 18-49 demo. That’s down 13 percent from the November 22 episode and is also the second-lowest rating SmackDown has drawn since returning to USA.

SmackDown faced stronger-than-usual sports competition on Black Friday with college football games on Fox, NBC, and ABC that combined for nearly 15 million viewers and a 2.82 rating in 18-49.

As compared to the same week in 2023, when the show still aired on Fox, Smackdown’s overall viewership was down 34.4 percent while its 18-49 rating was down 32.2 percent.

Listed below are the last 11 weeks of 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 9.4 percent in overall viewers and 9.1 percent in 18-49 as compared to the recent averages.