WWE SmackDown Posts Lowest FOX Rating Since July 2021
Vince McMahon and FOX can't be happy with the latest SmackDown's TV ratings.
Last Friday's episode of WWE SmackDown was the company's lowest-rated episode on FOX since 2 July 2021.
Showbuzz Daily reported that the broadcast pulled in 1.893 million viewers. That's the smallest number since last July's edition hauled in 1.861 million. Some of the other, more in-depth, analytics make for depressing reading too - that's especially true for Vince McMahon and execs at FOX.
SmackDown dropped 5.25% from the previous week's WrestleMania Backlash go home show. Further, the episode was 13.04% down in the key 18-49 demographic from the prior week, and fell to the #2 slot on network TV after holding the #1 position pre-Backlash.
Wrestlenomics crunched the numbers to find out that Friday's SmackDown posted a rating that was 1.25% down from the same week in 2021. What's more, the aforementioned 18-49 demo fell 9.09%.
The NBA Playoffs are being cited as one reason for the ratings drop. AEW's Rampage show, which also airs on Friday nights, has been forced to juggle time slots on TNT due to those basketball deciders, so this isn't a situation unique to WWE.
Still, it'll be concerning that SmackDown's FOX score dropped to FS1 levels last week.