WWE SmackDown Ratings Improve For ThunderDome Debut
Flashy new viewing concept + Vince McMahon = easy ratings boost.
Last night's ThunderDome debut and Vince McMahon appearance brought the expected ratings bump for WWE SmackDown.
The show experienced a near-10% increase from the previous week's overnight numbers, drawing an average of 2.168 million viewers across its two hours. Notably, this is the third consecutive week in which the overall viewership has increased, with the blue brand enjoying a steady upturn since 31 July's lowly 1.892 million.
As far as the key 18-49 demographic goes, SmackDown came through with a 0.60. This is the best figure since 17 April and a 20% increase on the previous week's 0.50.
Viewers aged 18-34 also improved by a similar margin, going from 0.30 on 14 August to 0.35 last night. A good week all-round, then, particularly as only 2% of viewers dropped off between the first and second hours.
The bump can almost certainly be attributed to the ThunderDome curiosity, Vince McMahon's pre-announced appearance, and last-minute SummerSlam 2020 excitement, with this being the go-home show. It'll be interesting to see if the enthusiasm carries into next week. ThunderDome wasn't universally popular, though the responses have largely leaned positive, and a blockbuster SummerSlam may spark another increase.