WWE SmackDown Audience Up From Recent Weeks, How It Compares To FOX Last Year

Friday's post-Crown Jewel edition of WWE SmackDown on FOX drew an average of 2.520 million viewers, according to Showbuzz Daily.

It should be noted that WWE nixed the original line-up for Friday's show due to travel woes coming out of Saudi Arabia, and had announced surprises instead.

This final number is down from the overnight viewership that was released on Saturday morning, which was an average of 2.543 million viewers. This number is obviously up (a whopping 184%) from last week's final SmackDown viewership of 888,000 viewers, which was low due to the show airing on FS1 for one week only.

This week's final viewership is also up 4.2% from the October 18 episode that drew 2.418 million viewers but down from the October 11 post-Hell In a Cell episode that drew 2.877 million viewers, which was also the WWE Draft episode. The episode from the week before that, which was the FOX premiere and the 20th Anniversary show, drew 3.888 million viewers. These numbers continue to be up from the USA Network airings as the final USA episode drew 2.099 million viewers on September 24.

Friday's SmackDown drew a 0.8 rating in the key 18-49 demographic, a 0.9 rating in the 25-54 demo, and a 0.6 rating in the 18-34 demographic. Last week's 18-49 demographic rating was for cable but the last FOX airing drew a 0.7 rating in the 18-49 demographic.

Today's final broadcast ratings are in line with the overnight numbers released on Saturday, which were a 0.8 rating in the key 18-49 demographic, 0.95 rating in the 25-54 demo, and a 0.6 rating in the 18-34 demographic.

SmackDown topped the night on network TV this past Friday in the 18-49 demographic and the 18-34 demographic. Hawaii Five-O drew a 1.2 rating in the 25-54 demographic while Magnum PI drew a 1.0, American Housewife drew a 1.0, and Blue Bloods drew a 1.0. Blacklist and Dateline also drew 0.9 ratings with SmackDown in the 25-54 demo.

SmackDown came in at #8 for the night in viewership on network TV, behind Blue Bloods, Hawaii Five-O, Magnum PI, Blacklist, American Housewife, Dateline, and 20/20. Blue Bloods topped the night with 7.610 million viewers.

The NBA game between the Mavericks and the Lakers topped the night in the 18-59 demographic Cable Top 150 with a 1.08 rating, with just 2.570 million viewers. Hannity topped the night in viewership on cable with 3.610 million viewers, coming in at #10 on the Cable Top 150 with a 0.27 rating in that 18-49 demographic.

SmackDown topped the audience for the show from the same week last year on Tuesday night on the USA Network by 19.43%. However, SmackDown was down 41% from the FOX Friday night prime time block from the same week in 2018, which averaged 4.293 million viewers. In the 18-49 demo, SmackDown was down 14% from the same week in 2018 on FOX, which was bolstered by Last Man Standing (6.109 million viewers, 1.2 rating in 18-49) and The Cool Kids (4.271 million viewers, 0.9 in the 18-49 demo), followed by Hell's Kitchen (2.499 million viewers, 0.7 rating in 18-49 demo).

To compare, last week's pro wrestling viewership looks like this:

* Monday's Crown Jewel go-home edition of RAW on the USA Network drew an average of 2.133 million viewers, down from the previous week's 2.342 million viewers. RAW was #4 in the 18-49 demographic on the Cable Top 150, with a 0.72 rating

* Tuesday's Total Divas episode drew 283,000 viewers on the E! network, up from the previous week's 279,000 viewers. The show ranked #69 on the Cable Top 150, with a 0.12 in the 18-49 demographic

* Wednesday's AEW Dynamite episode drew 789,000 viewers on TNT, down from the previous week's 963,000 viewers. Dynamite ranked #6 on the Cable Top 150, with a 0.33 rating in the 18-49 demographic

* Wednesday's WWE NXT episode drew 580,000 viewers on the USA Network, down from the previous week's 698,000 viewers. NXT ranked #32 on the Cable Top 150, with a 0.18 rating in the 18-49 demographic

* Friday's post-Crown Jewel edition of SmackDown averaged 2.520 million viewers on FOX, up from the previous week's 888,000 viewers for the special FS1 airing, and up from the October 18 regular FOX airing that drew 2.418 million viewers. SmackDown topped the night on network TV with a 0.8 rating in the 18-49 demographic

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: 1.833 million viewers
May 7 Episode: 1.931 million viewers
May 14 Episode: 1.827 million viewers (taped episode from London)
May 21 Episode: 1.983 million viewers (post-Money In the Bank episode)
May 28 Episode: 2.072 million viewers
June 4 Episode: 2.016 million viewers
June 11 Episode: 1.930 million viewers (post-Super ShowDown episode)
June 18 Episode: 1.859 million viewers
June 25 Episode: 1.921 million viewers (post-Stomping Grounds episode)
July 2 Episode: 1.890 million viewers
July 9 Episode: 1.853 million viewers
July 16 Episode: 2.122 million viewers (post-Extreme Rules episode)
July 23 Episode: 2.162 million viewers
July 30 Episode: 1.911 million viewers
August 6 Episode: 2.088 million viewers
August 13 Episode: 2.164 million viewers (post-SummerSlam episode)
August 20 Episode: 2.142 million viewers
August 27 Episode: 2.088 million viewers
September 3 Episode: 2.130 million viewers
September 10 Episode: 2.061 million viewers
September 17 Episode: 2.064 million viewers (post-Clash of Champions episode)
September 24 Episode: 2.099 million viewers (final USA Network episode)
October 4 Episode: 3.888 million viewers (FOX premiere)
October 11 Episode: 2.877 million viewers (WWE Draft episode, post-HIAC)
October 18 Episode: 2.418 million viewers
October 25 Episode: 888,000 viewers (aired on FS1)
November 1 Episode: 2.520 million viewers (post-Crown Jewel episode)
November 8 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