Throughout the past two months, “WWE SmackDown” has consistently averaged 1.4 million viewers a week, with its audience peaking at 1.58 million viewers two weeks ago for the episode ahead of WrestleMania. However, “SmackDown’s” numbers quickly diminished the following week, with total viewership dropping by 20%, and things have only gotten worse for the blue brand heading into May, as last Friday’s episode recorded its lowest ratings since late January.
According to Wrestlenomics and Programming Insider, “SmackDown” averaged 1,153,000 viewers and posted a 0.25 in the key 18-49 demographic. When comparing both categories to the previous week, total viewership fell by 9%, while there was a steeper 22% decline in the 18-49 demo. Despite the poor rating last Friday, “SmackDown” still ranked third for the night on cable in the 18-49, with NHL playoff games dominating the top two spots on ESPN and ESPN2. In addition, “SmackDown” also went head-to-head with stiff playoff competition from the NBA on Friday night, with two game six matchups taking place between the Toronto Raptors and the Cleveland Cavaliers, as well as the Detroit Pistons and the Orlando Magic.
Along with posting some of its lowest figures of the year, “SmackDown’s” numbers have continued to decrease over the last 12 months, with the program’s viewership being down by 17% since last May. That said, what’s more concerning is the show’s performance in the 18-49 demo, with the category falling by 31% since this time last year. Although “SmackDown” has struggled to maintain its audience since WrestleMania, the show will return to being a two-hour program this coming June, which could increase ratings with the 10 PM to 11 PM timeslot usually being the hour with the largest viewership decline.
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