WWE SmackDown Viewership And Key Demo Rating Down From Last Week For Royal Rumble Go-Home Show
Friday's live Royal Rumble go-home edition of WWE SmackDown drew an average of 2.217 million viewers on FOX, according to Nielsen, via Showbuzz Daily.
This final number is down 1.68% from the previous week's final viewership of 2.255 million viewers.
Friday's SmackDown drew a 0.56 rating in the key 18-49 demographic. This is down 12.50% from the previous week's 0.64 rating. This week's 0.56 key demo rating represents 729,000 18-49 viewers, which is down 12.79% from the 836,000 18-49 viewers that the previous week's 0.64 key demo rating drew, according to Wrestlenomics.
SmackDown ranked #1 in ratings for the key 18-49 demographic on network TV, tied with ABC's Shark Tank, up from the previous week's #2 ranking. SmackDown ranked #1 in the 18-34 demo this week, even with the previous week's #1 ranking. SmackDown ranked #3 in the 25-54 demo, even with the previous week's #3 ranking. SmackDown came in at #7 for the night in viewership on network TV, even with the previous week's #7 ranking. Blue Bloods on CBS topped the night on network TV in viewership this week with 6.098 million viewers.
Friday's live Royal Rumble go-home edition of SmackDown drew the second-lowest audience of the year so far, and was tied for the second-lowest key demo rating of the eyar. Friday's viewership was down 1.68% from the previous week's episode, while the key demo rating was down 12.50% from the previous week's episode.
Viewership for Friday's SmackDown episode was down 3.77% from the same week in 2021, while Friday's 18-49 key demo rating was down 9.67% from the same week in 2021.
The Janet Jackson special on Lifetime topped the night on the Cable Top 150 with a 0.46 key demo rating, drawing 2.114 million viewers. Tucker Carlson Tonight on FOX News topped the night on cable in viewership with 3.229 million viewers, ranking #7 on the Cable Top 150 with a 0.25 key demo rating.
Friday's live go-home SmackDown from the T-Mobile Center in Kansas City, MO had the following line-up advertised ahead of time – the final Royal Rumble build, Sonya Deville vs. Naomi, Madcap Moss and Happy Baron Corbin vs. Kofi Kingston and Big E, Ridge Holland and Sheamus vs. Cesaro and Ricochet, and Seth Rollins delivering a personal message to WWE Universal Champion Roman Reigns, which was the show-closing segment.
Stay tuned for more ratings data. Below is our 2022 SmackDown Viewership Tracker, along with the Top 10 moments from Friday's show:
January 7 Episode: 2.271 million viewers with a 0.58 rating in the 18-49 demographic (Post-Day 1 episode)
January 14 Episode: 2.174 million viewers with a 0.56 rating in the 18-49 demographic
January 21 Episode: 2.255 million viewers with a 0.64 rating in the 18-49 demographic
January 28 Episode: 2.217 million viewers with a 0.56 rating in the 18-49 demographic
February 4 Episode:
2021 Viewership Average: 2.050 million viewers per episode (2,082,154 without Best Of episode)
2021 18-49 Key Demo Rating Average: 0.54 rating per episode (0.55 without Best Of episode)
2021 FOX Viewership Average: 2.127 million viewers per episode
2021 FOX 18-49 Key Demo Rating Average: 0.56 rating per episode
2021 FS1 Viewership Average: 758,667 viewers per episode (includes Best Of episode; 949,000 without it)
2021 FS1 18-49 Key Demo Rating Average: 0.20 rating per episode (includes Best Of episode; 0.27 without it)
2020 Viewership Average: 2.180 million viewers per episode (2 FS1 airings)
2019 Viewership Average: 2.164 million viewers per episode (1 FS1 airing)
2018 Viewership Average: 2.352 million viewers per episode
2017 Viewership Average: 2.546 million viewers per episode