WWE Smackdown Ratings Report 11/3/2023

After a week spent on FS1 thanks to the World Series, "WWE SmackDown" was back in its usual home on Fox this past Friday night. But as has been the case with "WWE Raw," "WWE NXT," "AEW Dynamite," and "AEW Collision," sports were around to take a bite out of the show's viewership totals.

Wrestlenomics reports that Friday night's episode of "SmackDown" drew 2.119 million total viewers and a 0.53 rating in the coveted 18-49 demo. The numbers were expected up from last week's FS1 episode, which drew 1.145 million total viewers and a 0.36. However, the numbers also marked a significant decline from "SmackDown's" last episode on Fox two weeks ago, which drew 2.253 million viewers and a 0.59 in 18-49. Not counting last week's FS1 broadcast, last Friday's "SmackDown" drew the lowest number the program had done since September 8.

The quarter hours of the show indicate that most of the interest rested in the program between Roman Reigns and LA Knight, with an in-ring promo between the two opening the show with a strong 2.310 million viewers and a 0.56 in 18-49, the high point for both throughout the show. By QH3, however, total viewership had dropped to 2.098 million total viewers, hovering around that number until QH8, which dropped to a show-low 1.999 million viewers for Bianca Belair's match with Bayley. The match similarly drew a show low 0.50 in 18-49.

"SmackDown" faced competition from the NBA, going head-to-head with a New York Knicks vs. Milwaukee Bucks game that drew 1.6 million viewers and a 0.51 in 18-49. While it's unclear if it had any effect, the recent "SmackDown" episode didn't air live, having been taped a week prior due to WWE traveling to Saudi Arabia for their Crown Jewel PLE, which aired this past Saturday.