The latest insights from Nielsen ratings have brought to light an intriguing observation regarding “WWE SmackDown.” While the show has consistently performed well on a weekly basis, episodes featuring significant developments in The Bloodline storyline, especially those extensively promoted in advance, have a profound impact on viewership. The June 2 episode, commemorating Roman Reigns’ remarkable 1,000 days as champion, set a recent milestone with an average of 2,563,000 viewers overall. Notably, approximately 955,000 viewers fell within the coveted 18 to 49 age demographic, a segment highly valued by advertisers. This impressive performance resulted in a remarkable 0.73 rating in the P18-49 demo, surpassing the show’s recent “normal” levels.
With this revelation in mind, the burning question arises: How did the July 7 episode, featuring a captivating “Tribal Court” segment, fare in the ratings?
According to reports from SpoilerTV.com and insights shared by Wrestlenomics on their Twitter and Patreon pages, “SmackDown” continued to enjoy strong viewership. The episode averaged 2,561,000 viewers overall across its two-hour duration, representing a two percent increase from the previous week. Notably, approximately 986,000 viewers fell within the highly sought-after 18 to 49 age group, marking a ten percent surge compared to the prior week. This translated into an impressive 0.76 rating in the P18-49 demo, surpassing the performance of the June 2 episode. However, it is worth noting that the total viewership for both episodes remained effectively the same.
On Friday night, “SmackDown” asserted its dominance as the top show across all of prime time. It outshined the competition by a significant margin, more than tripling the key demo audience of CBS’s “Tough As Nails,” which recorded a modest 0.23 rating in the P18-49 demo and stood as the sole non-rerun program in its category.
For a comprehensive analysis, the Wrestlenomics Patreon page provides valuable insights into “SmackDown’s” performance across various demographics, comparing the results to the median of the previous four weeks’ data. By this measure, all indicators point to positive growth, with the most substantial percentage increases observed in the 18 to 34 age group. Women aged 18 to 34 experienced an impressive surge of 56 percent above the median, while men in the same age group witnessed a 33 percent increase, resulting in an overall 41 percent boost for that demographic compared to the median. Within the 18 to 49 age group, women saw a 27 percent rise, and men enjoyed a nine percent increase, culminating in an overall 18 percent surge for that demographic compared to the median.
