According to Nielsen via Showbuzz Daily, the live WWE SmackDown episode on FOX on Friday drew an average of 1.878 million viewers.
This is a 7.53% decrease from the previous week’s final viewership of 2.031 million viewers.
SmackDown drew a 0.43 rating in the key 18-49 demographic on Friday. This is a 4.44% decrease from the previous week’s rating of 0.45. According to Wrestlenomics, this week’s 0.43 key demo rating represents 561,000 18-49 viewers, a 4.42% decrease from the previous week’s 0.45 key demo rating of 587,000 18-49 viewers.
SmackDown ranked first in the key 18-49 demographic on network TV, up from second the previous week. For the fourth week in a row, SmackDown ranked first in the 18-34 demo, matching its previous week’s position. SmackDown ranked first in the 25-54 demo, up from second the previous week. SmackDown finished the night at #8 in network TV viewership, matching its previous week’s position. While SmackDown dominated network TV in the key demo rating, Blue Bloods on CBS dominated network TV in viewership this week with 2.978 million viewers.
Viewership for Friday’s SmackDown episode was 2.59% lower than the same week in 2021, while the 18-49 key demo rating was 14% lower.
The NBA Playoffs game between the Heat and the Celtics on ESPN topped the Cable Top 150 with a key demo rating of 2.41. With 7.188 million viewers, the Heat vs. Celtics NBA game topped the night on cable.
