Big Drop In Viewership For This Week's WWE SmackDown
This week's WWE SmackDown episode, featuring fallout from last week's Superstar Shakeup with WWE Champion Kofi Kingston vs. Shinsuke Nakamura in the main event, drew 2.072 million viewers. This is down 8% from last week's 2.219 million viewers for the Superstar Shakeup episode. This is also the lowest viewership since the February 12 episode, which drew 2.034 million viewers, and the fourth lowest audience of the year.
The 2018 post-Shakeup episode of SmackDown garnered 2.55 million viewers, so the audience is down 19% from last year's show.
SmackDown was #8 for the night in viewership on cable, behind the NBA Playoffs game between the Thunder and the Trailblazers, the NBA Playoffs game between the Nets and the 76ers, Curse of Oak Island, Hannity, Tucker Carlson Tonight, Rachel Maddow Show and Last Word. SmackDown was #4 in the 18-49 demographic this week, behind the two NBA games and Inside The NBA. The Thunder vs. Trailblazers game topped the night in the 18-49 demographic Cable Top 150 and in viewership with 3.112 million viewers.
The big draw on network TV at 8pm was NCIS on CBS, which drew 7.448 million viewers.
To compare, Monday's WWE RAW drew 2.374 million viewers, down from last week's 2.665 million viewers for the Superstar Shakeup episode, and the second-lowest RAW viewership of the year, since the January 7 episode, which drew 2.324 million viewers.
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: 2.155 million viewers
March 12 Episode: 2.198 million viewers (post-Fastlane episode)
March 19 Episode: 2.208 million viewers
March 26 Episode: 2.393 million viewers
April 2 Episode: 2.141 million viewers
April 9 Episode: 2.199 million viewers (post-WrestleMania 35 episode)
April 16 Episode: 2.219 million viewers (Superstar Shakeup episode)
April 23 Episode: 2.072 million viewers
April 30 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