WWE SmackDown Draws Best Viewership, P18-49 Rating Of 2025 So Far (WWE News)
Cody Rhodes' John Cena response and big Jade Cargill/Naomi segment boost strong SmackDown numbers.
WWE SmackDown hit its best television ratings of 2025 last week, posting a 10,000-viewer improvement in overall viewership and equalling the previous week's year-high P18-49 number.
As originally reported by Wrestlenomics, SmackDown's 7 March episode drew an average of 1.731 million P2+ viewers across its two hours on USA Network. The show's P18-49 rating was 0.52 for the second consecutive week.
That P18-49 number was enough for SmackDown to finish first on the night across cable and broadcast television.
SmackDown's P2+ viewership was up from the previous week's 1.731 million. Here's how the show has performed for the past five weeks:
7 February: 1.507 million viewers, 0.48 P18-49.
14 February: 1.422 million viewers, 0.43 P18-49.
21 February: 1.756 million viewers, 0.41 P18-49.
28 February: 1.731 million viewers, 0.52 P18-49.
7 March: 1.741 million viewers, 0.52 P18-49.
SmackDown was head-to-head with two basketball clashes: a college game drawing a 0.24 P18-49 rating on Fox, and an NBA game at 0.22 on ESPN.
The fallout from Elimination Chamber 2025 likely provided much of last Friday's appeal. SmackDown featured a pre-advertised appearance from Cody Rhodes, speaking for the first time since John Cena turned heel on him at the Chamber PLE. Elsewhere, a follow-up on Jade Cargill's return and attack on Naomi was guaranteed, with the protagonist and antagonist both set to attend, building on the revelation that Naomi injured Cargill (in kayfabe) last November.
SmackDown pulled an average of 2.313 million weekly P2+ viewers in March 2024, though the year-over-year decline can largely be attributed to broadcasting changes, with SD moving off broadcast television in Fox and onto a cable network, USA, this year.