WWE SmackDown Viewership Drops With Kevin Owens Return, Fastlane Main Event Change
This week's WWE SmackDown episode, featuring the returns of Kevin Owens and The Hardy Boys with Owens and Kofi Kingston defeating Rowan and WWE Champion Daniel Bryan in the main event, drew 2.150 million viewers. This is down 5.2% from last week's 2.269 million viewers for the post-Elimination Chamber episode, which was the best SmackDown viewership going back to the November 13, 2018 episode that drew 2.312 million viewers. However, it was still the second best viewership for the show this year.
SmackDown was #9 for the night in viewership on cable, for the second week in a row, behind Curse of Oak Island, Rachel Maddow Show, Hannity, Tucker Carlson Tonight, Last Word, The Ingraham Angle, The Five and Special Report. SmackDown was #1 in the 18-49 demographic this week, for the second week in a row.
The big draw on network TV at 8pm was NCIS on CBS, which drew 11.774 million viewers.
In comparison, Monday's WWE RAW drew 2.992 million viewers, up from last week's 2.771 million viewers for the post-Elimination Chamber episode, and the best viewership of 2019. This was also the best RAW viewership since the post-SummerSlam 2018 episode on August 20, which drew 3.095 million viewers. It topped SmackDown's viewership by a whopping 39%.
Below is our 2019 SmackDown Viewership Tracker:
January 1 Episode: 2.091 million viewers (New Year's episode, taped)
January 8 Episode: 2.032 million viewers
January 15 Episode: 2.143 million viewers
January 22 Episode: 2.142 million viewers
January 29 Episode: 2.137 million viewers (post-Royal Rumble episode)
February 5 Episode: 1.841 million viewers (State of the Union competition)
February 12 Episode: 2.034 million viewers
February 19 Episode: 2.269 million viewers (post-Elimination Chamber episode)
February 26 Episode: 2.150 million viewers
March 5 Episode:
2018 Total: 122.304 million viewers
2018 Average: 2.352 million viewers per episode
2017 Total: 132.401 million viewers
2017 Average: 2.546 million viewers per episode