WWE SmackDown Final Viewership And Key Demo Rating Down From Last Week

Friday's live edition of WWE SmackDown drew an average of 2.243 million viewers on FOX, according to Nielsen, via Showbuzz Daily.

This final number is up 2.42% from the overnight viewership that was released on Saturday morning, which was an average of 2.190 million viewers. This number is down 5.87% from last week's final viewership of 2.383 million viewers for the Super SmackDown episode from Madison Square Garden.

Friday's SmackDown drew a 0.58 rating in the key 18-49 demographic. This is down 10.76% from last week's 0.65 rating. That 0.58 rating represents 756,000 viewers in the 18-49 key demographic, which is down 11.26% from the 852,000 18-49 viewers that last week's 0.65 drew, according to Wrestlenomics.

SmackDown ranked #2 in ratings for the key 18-49 demographic on network TV, ending a five-week run at #1. SmackDown ranked #1 in the 18-34 demo this week, for the sixth week in a row, and #2 in the 25-54 demo, ending another five-week run at #1. SmackDown came in at #4 for the night in viewership on network TV. Big Brother on CBS topped the night on network TV in viewership this week with 3.334 million viewers.

College football on ESPN topped the night on the Cable Top 150 with a 0.50 18-49 key demo rating, drawing just 1.881 million viewers. Tucker Carlson Tonight on FOX News topped the night on cable in viewership with 3.151 million viewers, ranking #3 for the night on the Cable Top 150 with a 0.23 key demo rating.

Friday's SmackDown drew the fourth-best audience since fans returned to the live crowd. Friday's viewership was down 5.87% from the week before, while the key demo rating was down 10.76% from the week before.

Viewership for Friday's SmackDown episode was up 10.11% from the same week in 2020, while Friday's 18-49 key demo rating was up 16% from the same week in 2020.

Friday's live SmackDown from the Thompson-Boling Arena in Knoxville, Tennessee had just a few happenings advertised ahead of time – Rick Boogs vs. Robert Roode, Seth Rollins discussing his attack on WWE Hall of Famer Edge, plus Bianca Belair's Homecoming Celebrating, which was the show-closing segment.

Stay tuned for more ratings data. Below is our 2021 SmackDown Viewership Tracker, along with the Top 10 moments from Friday's show:

January 1 Episode: 2.013 million viewers with a 0.53 rating in the 18-49 demographic (New Year's episode)
January 8 Episode: 2.120 million viewers with a 0.56 rating in the 18-49 demographic
January 15 Episode: 2.262 million viewers with a 0.67 rating in the 18-49 demographic
January 22 Episode: 2.383 million viewers with a 0.63 rating in the 18-49 demographic
January 29 Episode: 2.304 million viewers with a 0.62 rating in the 18-49 demographic
February 5 Episode: 2.257 million viewers with a 0.65 rating in the 18-49 demographic (post-Royal Rumble episode)
February 12 Episode: 1.990 million viewers with a 0.57 rating in the 18-49 demographic
February 19 Episode: 2.217 million viewers with a 0.59 rating in the 18-49 demographic
February 26 Episode: 2.145 million viewers with a 0.54 rating in the 18-49 demographic (post-Elimination Chamber episode)
March 5 Episode: 2.252 million viewers with a 0.60 rating in the 18-49 demographic
March 12 Episode: 2.171 million viewers with a 0.61 rating in the 18-49 demographic
March 19 Episode: 2.093 million viewers with a 0.57 rating in the 18-49 demographic
March 26 Episode: 2.191 million viewers with a 0.57 rating in the 18-49 demographic (post-Fastlane episode)
April 2 Episode: 2.137 million viewers with a 0.57 rating in the 18-49 demographic
April 9 Episode: 2.250 million viewers with a 0.61 rating in the 18-49 demographic
April 16 Episode: 2.119 million viewers with a 0.56 rating in the 18-49 demographic (post-WrestleMania 37 episode)
April 23 Episode: 2.121 million viewers with a 0.54 rating in the 18-49 demographic
April 30 Episode: 2.018 million viewers with a 0.49 rating in the 18-49 demographic
May 7 Episode: 2.282 million viewers with a 0.65 rating in the 18-49 demographic (Throwback episode)
May 14 Episode: 1.917 million viewers with a 0.44 rating in the 18-49 demographic
May 21 Episode: 1.933 million viewers with a 0.50 rating in the 18-49 demographic (post-WrestleMania Backlash episode)
May 28 Episode: 1.928 million viewers with a 0.50 rating in the 18-49 demographic
June 4 Episode: 1.883 million viewers with a 0.50 rating in the 18-49 demographic
June 11 Episode: 1.944 million viewers with a 0.48 rating in the 18-49 demographic
June 18 Episode: 2.045 million viewers with a 0.54 rating in the 18-49 demographic
June 25 Episode: 1.971 million viewers with a 0.54 rating in the 18-49 demographic (post-Hell In a Cell episode)
July 2 Episode: 1.861 million viewers with a 0.46 rating in the 18-49 demographic
July 9 Episode: 1.986 million viewers with a 0.48 rating in the 18-49 demographic (Final ThunderDome era)
July 16 Episode: 2.310 million viewers with a 0.66 rating in the 18-49 demographic (Return to the road episode)
July 23 Episode: 2.137 million viewers with a 0.55 rating in the 18-49 demographic (Post-Money In the Bank episode)
July 30 Episode: 2.043 million viewers with a 0.57 rating in the 18-49 demographic
August 6 Episode: 2.169 million viewers with a 0.61 rating in the 18-49 demographic
August 13 Episode: 2.084 million viewers with a 0.58 rating in the 18-49 demographic
August 20 Episode: 2.102 million viewers with a 0.57 rating in the 18-49 demographic
August 27 Episode: 2.250 million viewers with a 0.59 rating in the 18-49 demographic (Post-SummerSlam episode)
September 3 Episode: 2.220 million viewers with a 0.62 rating in the 18-49 demographic
September 10 Episode: 2.383 million viewers with a 0.65 rating in the 18-49 demographic (Super SmackDown episode)
September 17 Episode: 2.243 million viewers with a 0.58 rating in the 18-49 demographic
September 24 Episode:

2020 Total: 113.372 million viewers
2020 Average: 2.180 million viewers per episode (2 FS1 airings)

2019 Total: 112.530 million viewers
2019 Average: 2.164 million viewers per episode (1 FS1 airing)

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