Throwback WWE SmackDown draws best ratings since January

May 12, 2021 / By mobanmarket

Image: WWE

Friday night’s Throwback edition of SmackDown averaged 2.282 million viewers on Fox, up 13.1 percent from the previous week’s episode that went against night two of the NFL Draft. It was the best audience for SmackDown since the Royal Rumble go-home show on January 29.

The 18-49 demo number of 0.65 was up 32.7 percent from the previous week and matches SmackDown’s best rating in that category since January 15.

While the show finished in its usual spot at the bottom of the network rankings in terms of total viewers, it topped all of television in 18-49, finishing more than 20 percent ahead of Shark Tank on ABC, which came in second.

In the 18-34 demo, SmackDown was up 43.3 percent from the previous week, drawing a 0.43 rating. SmackDown also topped all of TV in that category.

Year-over-year, SmackDown was up 12.7 percent in overall viewers. The show was also up 30 percent in 18-49 and up 43.3 percent in 18-34 as compared to the same week last year.

Here’s a look at last week’s viewership totals and key demo numbers for the four most-watched wrestling shows:

WWE Raw: 1.872 million viewers (0.53 in 18-49, 0.32 in 18-34)
WWE NXT: 761,000 viewers (0.18 in 18-49, 0.08 in 18-34)
AEW Dynamite: 1.090 million viewers (0.42 in 18-49, 0.19 in 18-34)
WWE SmackDown: 2.282 million viewers (0.65 in 18-49, 0.43 in 18-34)