For the past few weeks, "WWE SmackDown" has been fighting to stay above the one million viewer threshold, as the show's numbers took a hit after going head-to-head with the FIFA World Cup this summer. However, this past Friday, CM Punk returned to "SmackDown" now that he's the Undisputed WWE Champion, which led the show to bounce back following its poor performance last week.According to Wrestlenomics and Programming Insider, "SmackDown" averaged1,212,000 viewers and posted a 0.24 in the key 18-49 demographic, which is the largest audience the show has drawn since the May 22 episode. When comparing the results to the previous week, nearly 150,000 more viewers tuned-in to last Friday's episode, but the program failed to improve in the 18-49 demo, which was down by 4%. However, "SmackDown's" 0.24 rating topped the night on cable in the 18-49, having dominated the category on Friday.Although "SmackDown" seems to be heading in the right direction with SummerSlam on the horizon, the program's totals have significantly declined over the last 12 months, with its viewership figures dropping by 17% since July 2025. Unfortunately, things aren't looking better for the 18-49 demo, which is down by 40% since this time last year. Going forward, Punk's involvement and the lead up to "The Biggest Party of the Summer" should help "SmackDown" capitalize on last Friday's rating, but whether that will be enough for the blue brand to consistently maintain audience growth remains to be seen.
