WWE SmackDown Final Viewership Down With Edge's Ring Return
Friday's live Fastlane go-home edition of WWE SmackDown, featuring the final build for the Fastlane pay-per-view with WWE Hall of Famer Edge defeating Jey Uso in the main event, drew an average of 2.093 million viewers on FOX, according to Showbuzz Daily.
This final number is up from the overnight viewership that was released on Saturday morning, which was an average of 1.946 million viewers. This number is down 3.6% from last week's final SmackDown viewership of 2.093 million viewers.
Friday's SmackDown drew a 0.57 rating in the key 18-49 demographic, a 0.70 rating in the 25-54 demo, and a 0.34 rating in the 18-34 demographic. Last week's SmackDown drew a 0.61 rating in the key 18-49 demographic, a 0.75 rating in the 25-54 demo, and a 0.35 rating in the 18-34 demographic.
SmackDown ranked #4 in ratings for the key 18-49 demographic on network TV, behind three airings of NCAA on CBS, which drew 0.99, 0.98 and 0.74 ratings. SmackDown also ranked #4 in the 18-34 demo this week, behind the three NCAA on CBS airings, which drew 0.79, 0.63 and 0.48 ratings. The show also ranked #4 in the 25-54 demo, behind the three NCAA on CBS airings, which drew 1.27, 1.09 and 0.93 ratings. SmackDown came in at #7 for the night in viewership on network TV. The NCAA airing on CBS at 7pm topped the night on network TV in viewership this week with 4.439 million viewers.
SmackDown was down 18.5% in total viewers from the same week last year, while it was down 29% in the 18-49 demo.
College basketball dominated network and cable TV on Friday. The NCAA tournament airing at 6:30pm on TBS topped the night on the Cable Top 150 with a 0.84 rating in the 18-49 demographic, drawing 2.677 million viewers. Tucker Carlson Tonight on FOX News topped the night in cable viewership with 2.860 million viewers, ranking #17 on the Cable Top 150 with a 0.20 rating in the key demo.
Below is our 2021 SmackDown Viewership Tracker:
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:
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