Friday's pre-recorded edition of WWE SmackDown drew an average of 2.376 million viewers on FOX, according to NielsenDaily show buzz.
That final figure is 8.44% up on the previous week's final viewership of 2.191 million viewers for the live episode.
Friday's SmackDown earned a .55 rating in its key demographic of 18-49 year olds. This is an increase of 8.77% from last week's rating of 0.52. The key demo rating of 0.55 over the past week represents 717,000 18-49 viewers, which is an 8.25% increase over the 678,000 18-49 viewers who had the key demo rating of 0, had 52 in the previous weekWrestlenomik.
SmackDown ranked #1 in the ratings for the key 18-49 age group on network television, matching the #1 rating from the previous week. SmackDown ranked #1 in the 18-34 demo this week, up from #3 the previous week. SmackDown ranked #1 in the 25-54 demo, even with #1 the previous week. SmackDown came in at No. 4 in network television viewership for the night, up from No. 5 the previous week. While WWE SmackDown topped the day on network TV in the top demographic, NBC's How The Grinch Stole Christmas topped the day on network TV averaging 2.806 million viewers and also earned a key demo rating of .44 .
Friday's SmackDown was the highest total audience since September 23. SmackDown was only surpassed this week by Wake Forest vs. Missouri College Football on ESPN. Additional cable sports competitions on Friday included two college football games on ESPN, two NBA games on NBA-TV, one B1G men's college basketball game on Big Ten Network, three college basketball games on ESPN2, and two Copa por Mexico- Football matches on TUDN. Friday's SmackDown viewership increased 8.44% from the last FOX episode, and major demo ratings decreased 8.77% from the last FOX episode.
Viewership for Friday's episode of SmackDown increased 20.49% from the same week in 2021, while rating for the major demos on Friday 18-49 increased 14.58% from the same week in 2021. The 2021 episode was a taped Christmas Eve show.
The Wake Forest-Missouri college football bowl game on ESPN topped the day in the Cable Top 150 with a key demo rating of .86. The game also topped the night on cable TV with 3.539 million viewers.
Friday's SmackDown was taped the week prior from the Allstate Arena in Chicago, IL with full spoilers and the following announced lineup - a Gauntlet to determine the new No. 1 contender for SmackDown Women's Champion Ronda Rousey, a Performance by Bray Wyatt, performances by The Bloodline, Rey Mysterio vs. Angel, undisputed WWE Tag Team Champions The Usos defend against Hit Row, plus Braun Strowman and Ricochet vs. Ludwig Kaiser and Giovanni Vinci in a Miracle on 34th Street Fight, the Main Event.
Below is our 2022 SmackDown Viewership Tracker, along with the top 10 moments from Friday's show:
Episode from January 7th:2.271 million viewers with a rating of 0.58 in the 18-49 demographic (episode after Day 1)
Episode from January 14:2.174 million viewers with a rating of 0.56 in the 18-49 age group
Episode from January 21:2.255 million viewers with a rating of 0.64 in the 18-49 age group
Episode from January 28:2.217 million viewers with a rating of 0.56 in the 18-49 age group
February 4 episode:2.151 million viewers with a 0.51 rating in the 18-49 age group (post-Royal Rumble episode)
February 11 episode:2.231 million viewers with a rating of 0.55 in the 18-49 age group
February 18 episode:2.173 million viewers with a 0.54 rating in the 18-49 age group (Pre-recorded episode)
February 25 episode:2.114 million viewers with a 0.57 rating in the 18-49 demographic (post-Elimination Chamber episode)
March 4 episode:2.261 million viewers with a rating of 0.59 in the 18-49 age group
March 11 episode:2.226 million viewers with a rating of 0.57 in the 18-49 age group
March 18 episode:2.147 million viewers with a rating of 0.58 in the 18-49 age group
March 25 episode:2.180 million viewers with a rating of 0.49 in the 18-49 age group
April 1 episode:2.359 million viewers with a .61 rating in the 18-49 age group (WrestleMania SmackDown episode)
April 8 episode:2.230 million viewers with a .60 rating in the 18-49 age group (post-WrestleMania 38 episode)
April 15 episode:2.142 million viewers with a rating of 0.48 in the 18-49 age group
April 22 episode:1.952 million viewers with a rating of 0.47 in the 18-49 age group
April 29 episode:1.953 million viewers with a rating of 0.38 in the 18-49 year old demographic (Pre-recorded Episode)
May 6 episode:1.998 million viewers with a rating of 0.46 in the 18-49 age group
May 13 episode:1.893 million viewers with a .40 rating in the 18-49 age group (post-WrestleMania Backlash episode)
May 20 episode:2.031 million viewers with a rating of 0.45 in the 18-49 age group
May 27 episode:1.878 million viewers with a rating of 0.43 in the 18-49 age group
June 3 episode:1.939 million viewers with a rating of 0.47 in the 18-49 age group
June 10 episode:1.914 million viewers with a 0.44 rating in the 18-49 demographic (episode "Post-Hell In a Cell")
June 17 episode:2.389 million viewers with a rating of 0.62 in the 18-49 age group
June 24 episode:2.231 million viewers with a rating of 0.53 in the 18-49 age group
July 1 episode:2.142 million viewers with a rating of 0.49 in the 18-49 age group
July 8 episode:2.129 million viewers with a 0.47 rating in the 18-49 demographic (post-Money In the Bank episode)
July 15 episode:2.077 million viewers with a rating of 0.47 in the 18-49 age group
July 22 episode:2.256 million viewers with a rating of 0.62 in the 18-49 age group
July 29 episode:2.193 million viewers with a rating of 0.52 in the 18-49 age group
August 5 episode:2.093 million viewers with a 0.49 rating in the 18-49 demographic (post-SummerSlam episode)
August 12 episode:1.927 million viewers with a rating of 0.44 in the 18-49 age group
Episode from August 19:2.084 million viewers with a rating of 0.47 in the 18-49 age group (1200th episode)
Episode from August 26:1.990 million viewers with a rating of 0.48 in the 18-49 age group
September 2 episode:2.077 million viewers with a rating of 0.49 in the 18-49 demographic (Pre-recorded episode)
September 9 episode:2.367 million viewers with a 0.57 rating in the 18-49 demographic (episode "Post-Clash at The Castle")
September 16 episode:2.212 million viewers with a 0.50 rating in the 18-49 age group
September 23 episode:2.535 million viewers with a rating of 0.62 in the 18-49 age group
September 30 episode:2.207 million viewers with a rating of 0.54 in the 18-49 age group
Episode from October 7th:2.243 million viewers with a 0.54 rating in the 18-49 age group (season premiere)
October 14 episode:2.274 million viewers with a 0.54 rating in the 18-49 demographic (episode "Post-Extreme Rules")
Episode from October 21:2.231 million viewers with a rating of 0.52 in the 18-49 age group
Episode from October 28:835,000 viewers with a 0.23 rating in the 18-49 age group (FS1 cable episode)
Episode from November 4th:2.131 million viewers with a rating of 0.48 in the 18-49 demographic (Pre-recorded Episode)
Episode from November 11th:2.264 million viewers with a 0.58 rating in the 18-49 age group (episode "Post-Crown Jewel Veteran's Day")
Episode from November 18:2.232 million viewers with a rating of 0.56 in the 18-49 age group
Episode from November 25:2.166 million viewers with a rating of 0.54 in the 18-49 age group
December 2 episode:902,000 viewers with a 0.25 rating in the 18-49 demographic (Post-Survivor Series FS1 cable episode)
Episode from December 9th:2.306 million viewers with a rating of 0.57 in the 18-49 age group
December 16 episode:2.191 million viewers with a rating of 0.52 in the 18-49 age group
Episode from December 23:2.376 million viewers with a rating of 0.55 in the 18-49 demographic (Pre-recorded episode)
Episode from December 30th:
Average viewership 2021:2.050 million viewers per episode (2,082,154 excluding Best Of episode)
2021 18-49 Key Demo Rating Average:0.54 rating per episode (0.55 without Best Of episode)
2021 FOX Viewer Average:2.127 million viewers per episode
2021 FOX 18-49 Key Demo Rating Average:0.56 rating per episode
FS1 Viewer Average 2021:758,667 viewers per episode (including Best Of episode; 949,000 without it)
2021 FS1 18-49 Key Demo Rating Average:0.20 rating per episode (including Best Of episode; 0.27 without it)
Viewer average 2020:2.180 million viewers per episode (2 FS1 broadcasts)
Average viewership 2019:2.164 million viewers per episode (1 FS1 broadcast)
Average viewership 2018:2.352 million viewers per episode
Viewer average 2017:2.546 million viewers per episode
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