WWE SmackDown Viewership And Key Demo Rating Up For WWE Draft Night 1 Episode

Friday's live post-Extreme Rules WWE Draft Night 1 edition of WWE SmackDown drew an average of 2.252 million viewers on FOX, according to Nielsen, via Showbuzz Daily.

This final number is up 11.93% from the overnight viewership that was released on Saturday morning, which was an average of 2.012 million viewers. This number is also up 5.48% from last week's final viewership of 2.135 million viewers for the Extreme Rules go-home show.

Friday's SmackDown drew a 0.62 rating in the key 18-49 demographic. This is up 12.72% from last week's 0.55 rating for the Extreme Rules go-home show. The 0.62 key demo rating represents 809,000 18-49 viewers, which is up 13.46% from the 713,000 18-49 viewers that last week's 0.55 key demo rating drew, according to Wrestlenomics.

SmackDown ranked #1 in ratings for the key 18-49 demographic on network TV, for the second week in a row. SmackDown ranked #2 in the 18-34 demo this week, ending a 7 week run at #1. SmackDown ranked #3 in the 25-54 demo, down from last week's #2 spot. SmackDown came in at #8 for the night in viewership on network TV, down from last week's #7 spot. Blue Bloods on CBS topped the night on network TV in viewership this week with 6.297 million viewers.

College football on FOX Sports topped the night on the Cable Top 150 with a 0.38 key demo rating, drawing 1.381 million viewers. The Five on FOX News topped the night on cable in viewership with 2.857 million viewers, ranking #7 on the Cable Top 150 with a 0.18 key demo rating.

Friday's SmackDown drew the third-best audience since fans returned to the live crowd. It was tied with one other show, the September 3 episode, to be the third-best key demo rating for that same period. Friday's viewership was up 5.48% from the week before, while the key demo rating was up 12.72% from the week before.

Viewership for Friday's SmackDown episode was up 4.5% from the same week in 2020, while Friday's 18-49 key demo rating was up 3.33% from the same week in 2020.

Friday's live post-Extreme Rules edition of SmackDown from the the Royal Farms Arena in Baltimore had just a few happenings advertised ahead of time – Night 1 of the WWE Draft, WWE Hall of Famer Edge returning to address Seth Rollins, plus Sasha Banks vs. Bianca Belair, which was the main event.

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: 2.135 million viewers with a 0.55 rating in the 18-49 demographic
October 1 Episode: 2.252 million viewers with a 0.62 rating in the 18-49 demographic (Draft Night 1 post-Extreme Rules episode)
October 8 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