"WWE SmackDown" spent most of the final quarter of last year hovering around the 1.1 million viewer mark, with stiff sports competition and Nielsen's "Big Data + Panel" system causing the program's numbers to decline. This past Friday, "SmackDown" returned to being a three-hour program, and though many expected for its ratings to drop due to the additional 60 minutes of run time, the show not only maintained its viewership, but impressed in the key 18-49 demographic.
According to Wrestlenomics and SpoilerTV, "SmackDown" averaged1,175,000 viewers and a 0.28 in the 18-49 demo. Along with total viewership increasing by 3% since last week, Friday's show marked the highest figure that "SmackDown" has posted in the 18-49 demo since the November 21 edition of the program. Unfortunately, the same cannot be said when comparing the blue brand's numbers to the beginning of 2025, with total viewership being down by 21% since this time last year. Additionally, "SmackDown's" numbers in the key demographic have plummeted by 36% since January 2025.
Although "SmackDown" improved its viewership from last week, WWE's overall ticket sales continue to suffer. Last week's episode of "SmackDown" sold 9,046 tickets from theKeyBank Center in Buffalo, New York, which is a 30% decrease from the show's most previous visit to the venue in November 2024. Going forward, it remains to be seen if "SmackDown" will continue to grow its audience as WrestleMania season approaches, or if the third hour of the show will result in a decline in viewership overtime.
