WWE SmackDown is making a temporary moveand its expected to come with a big drop in viewership.
Due to NBCUniversals coverage of the Winter Olympics, WWE SmackDown will air on SyFy for two weeksFebruary 13 and 20, 2026instead of its usual spot on USA Network. The change was announced as part of the networks Olympic programming shift, which will take over USA and NBC from February 6 through 22.
Even though the show will remain in its normal 8:00 PM ET timeslot and run for three hours, its expected the move to be brutal for ratings.
On Wrestling Observer Radio, Dave Meltzer didnt sugarcoat it, Theyll do record-low numbers for those. Why the pessimism? Its not just the move to SyFySmackDown will be airing head-to-head against the Olympics on NBC.
Historically, SmackDown has struggled whenever its bumped to SyFy. While the Winter Games dont hit as hard as the Summer Olympics, Meltzer still sees the damage coming:
WWE plans to return to USA Network on February 27, just in time for the final SmackDown before Elimination Chambera key night on the road to WrestleMania. But for now, the next two weeks look bleak on the ratings front.
Will WWE shake things up to offset the loss in viewershipor are we about to witness two of the weakest-rated episodes of the year?
How do you feel about SmackDown moving to SyFy during the Olympics? Will you still tune in, or does this kill the hype? Let us know in the comments.
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