WWE SmackDown Viewership Down Going Into Payback

Friday's post-SummerSlam live edition of WWE SmackDown, which was also the go-home show for WWE Payback, drew an average of 2.144 million viewers on FOX, according to Showbuzz Daily.

This final number is down from the overnight viewership that was released on Saturday morning, which was an average of 2.181 million viewers. This number is also down from last week's final SmackDown viewership of 2.198 million viewers for the SummerSlam go-home show with the ThunderDome debut for the blue brand.

Friday's SmackDown drew a 0.6 rating in the key 18-49 demographic, a 0.7 rating in the 25-54 demo, and a 0.3 rating in the 18-34 demographic. Last week's episode drew a 0.6 rating in the 18-49 demo, a 0.7 rating in the 25-54 demo, and a 0.4 rating in the 18-34 demographic.

SmackDown ranked #1 in ratings for the key 18-49 demographic on network TV this week, for the eighth week in a row. SmackDown also ranked #1 in the 18-34 demo this week, for the fourteenth week in a row. SmackDown also ranked #1 in the 25-54 demo, for the third week in a row. SmackDown came in at #5 for the night in viewership on network TV. Blue Bloods topped the night on network TV in viewership this week with 2.911 million viewers, for the second week in a row.

Tucker Carlson Tonight on FOX News topped the night on the Cable Top 150 with a 0.39 rating in the 18-49 demographic. Tucker also topped the night in cable viewership with with 4.273 million viewers.

Below is our 2020 SmackDown Viewership Tracker:

January 3 Episode: 2.413 million viewers with a 0.7 rating in the 18-49 demographic
January 10 Episode: 2.497 million viewers with a 0.8 rating in the 18-49 demographic
January 17 Episode: 2.562 million viewers with a 0.8 rating in the 18-49 demographic
January 24 Episode: 2.448 million viewers with a 0.7 rating in the 18-49 demographic
January 31 Episode: 2.422 million viewers with a 0.7 rating in the 18-49 demographic (post-Royal Rumble episode)
February 7 Episode: 2.538 million viewers with a 0.8 rating in the 18-49 demographic
February 14 Episode: 2.464 million viewers with a 0.7 rating in the 18-49 demographic
February 21 Episode: 2.484 million viewers with a 0.7 rating in the 18-49 demographic
February 28 Episode: 2.687 million viewers with a 0.8 rating in the 18-49 demographic (post-Super ShowDown episode)
March 6 Episode: 2.456 million viewers with a 0.7 rating in the 18-49 demographic
March 13 Episode: 2.470 million viewers with a 0.7 rating in the 18-49 demographic (post-Elimination Chamber WWE Performance Center episode)
March 20 Episode: 2.569 million viewers with a 0.8 rating in the 18-49 demographic
March 27 Episode: 2.367 million viewers with a 0.8 rating in the 18-49 demographic
April 3 Episode: 2.398 million viewers with a 0.6 rating in the 18-49 demographic
April 10 Episode: 2.317 million viewers with a 0.6 rating in the 18-49 demographic (post-WrestleMania 36 episode)
April 17 Episode: 2.187 million viewers with a 0.6 rating in the 18-49 demographic
April 24 Episode: 2.005 million viewers with a 0.5 rating in the 18-49 demographic (Triple H 25th Anniversary Celebration)
May 1 Episode: 1.885 million viewers with a 0.5 rating in the 18-49 demographic
May 8 Episode: 2.025 million viewers with a 0.5 rating in the 18-49 demographic
May 15 Episode: 2.042 million viewers with a 0.5 rating in the 18-49 demographic (post-Money In the Bank episode)
May 22 Episode: 2.044 million viewers with a 0.5 rating in the 18-49 demographic
May 29 Episode: 2.170 million viewers with a 0.6 rating in the 18-49 demographic
June 5 Episode: 1.984 million viewers with a 0.5 rating in the 18-49 demographic
June 12 Episode: 2.065 million viewers with a 0.5 rating in the 18-49 demographic
June 19 Episode: 2.072 million viewers with a 0.5 rating in the 18-49 demographic
June 26 Episode: 2.174 million viewers with a 0.5 rating in the 18-49 demographic
July 3 Episode: 1.777 million viewers with a 0.4 rating in the 18-49 demographic
July 10 Episode: 1.900 million viewers with a 0.5 rating in the 18-49 demographic
July 17 Episode: 1.912 million viewers with a 0.5 rating in the 18-49 demographic
July 24 Episode: 1.924 million viewers with a 0.5 rating in the 18-49 demographic (post-Extreme Rules episode)
July 31 Episode: 1.894 million viewers with a 0.5 rating in the 18-49 demographic
August 7 Episode: 1.962 million viewers with a 0.5 rating in the 18-49 demographic
August 14 Episode: 2.002 million viewers with a 0.6 rating in the 18-49 demographic
August 21 Episode: 2.198 million viewers with a 0.6 rating in the 18-49 demographic
August 28 Episode: 2.144 million viewers with a 0.6 rating in the 18-49 demographic (post-SummerSlam, pre-Payback episode)
September 4 Episode:

2019 Total: 112.530 million viewers
2019 Average: 2.164 million viewers per 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