WWE SmackDown Viewership & Ratings Report: 12/5/2025

Despite the finals of the "Last Time Is Now Tournament" and Cody Rhodes' vicious attack on Drew McIntyre taking place on "WWE SmackDown" this past Friday, the blue brand's viewership significantly declined from the previous week, with the show drawing its worst numbers since October.

According to Wrestlenomics, "SmackDown" averaged 1,063,000 viewers and posted an 0.24 in the key 18-49 demographic. When comparing both categories to the week prior, total viewership decreased by 7%, with the 18-49 demo dropping by 14%. "SmackDown" was beginning to improve its totals after recording one of its lowest ratings in history when the program went head-to-head with the World Series, but last Friday's episode was 9% below its average viewership for the past month. 

Perhaps most concerning is "SmackDown's" decline in viewership over the past year, with the program's move to the USA Network and Nielsen introducing its "Big Data + Panel" system negatively impacting the show's numbers. Since December 2024, "SmackDown's" overall audience has fallen by 27%, while the 18-49 demo has plummeted by a whopping 43%. That said, poor ratings haven't been exclusive to "SmackDown," with Nielsen's new measurement, which aims to deliver more accurate information, tarnishing professional wrestling viewership across the board. 

Unfortunately, "SmackDown's" numbers weren't only disappointing on cable, with its attendance figures also suffering for last week's episode. "SmackDown" sold 7,881 tickets at the Moody Center in Austin, Texas on Friday, which is a 21% decrease in ticket sales since the last time WWE visited the city. Although "SmackDown's" viewership deteriorated for the December 5 episode, hopefully the show will bounce back this Friday with John Cena's final match happening the next day at Saturday Night's Main Event.