9 months ago
66 ARTICLE AD
WWE
With WrestleMania 40 season in full swing, WWE has, in many ways, never been more interesting, even if not always for the right reasons. Nothing has proven that more than "SmackDown's" recent run in the ratings, with numbers shooting up thanks to involvement from The Rock, and controversy over whether he or Cody Rhodes would face Roman Reigns at WrestleMania, with Rhodes currently in the slot. And after one of the biggest ratings in recent memory two weeks ago, many were hopeful for even stronger numbers this past Friday.
Instead, WWE essentially got a duplicate. Wrestlenomics and SportsMediaWatch report that Friday's "SmackDown" drew 2.555 million total viewers, along with 0.75 in the coveted 18-49 demographic. The numbers were all but identical to the week before, with total viewership dropping only 1% from 2.578 million, while 18-49 remained exactly the same.
While it remains unclear whether "SmackDown" was the #1 show on TV for the week, the show was #1 on TV for Friday night, including besting the NBA Celebrity All-Star Game airing head to head, which drew 1.565 million and 0.55. Even still, the Celebrity Game may have had some effect on "SmackDown," as many expected an increase after the promotion advertised appearances from both The Rock and Roman Reigns a week prior.
Rock and Reigns were the focus of Friday's show, with Rock officially joining Reigns in The Bloodline in the final segment. With quarter-hour data not yet available, it remains unclear just how much of a factor the duo's appearance was in the final numbers. In addition to their segment, "SmackDown" also saw Logan Paul, Kevin Owens, Tiffany Stratton, and Naomi qualify for the Men's and Women's Elimination Chamber matches, defeating The Miz, Dominik Mysterio, Zelina Vega, and Alba Fyre to do so.
