WWE Smackdown rating/viewership for Friday

Friday’s live post-Crown Jewel edition of WWE SmackDown drew an average of 2.249 million viewers on FOX, according to Nielsen, via Showbuzz Daily.

This final number is up 4.51% from the overnight viewership that was released on Saturday morning, which was an average of 2.152 million viewers. This number is also up 159.7% from last week’s final viewership of 866,000 viewers, but that was for the Supersized FS1 episode on cable. For the last FOX episode, this is up 4.75% from the 2.147 million viewers that the season premiere episode drew on October 8.

Friday’s SmackDown drew a 0.58 rating in the key 18-49 demographic. This is up 141.6% from last week’s 0.24 rating, but for the FS1 episode that aired on cable. For the last FOX episode, this is up 11.53% from the 0.52 that the season premiere episode drew on October 8. This week’s 0.58 key demo rating represents 759,000 18-49 viewers, which is up 11.62% from the 680,000 18-49 viewers that the 0.52 key demo rating the FOX season premiere drew on October 8, according to Wrestlenomics.

SmackDown ranked #1 in ratings for the key 18-49 demographic on network TV, for the fourth week in a row, not including last week’s cable episode. SmackDown ranked #1 in the 18-34 demo this week, up from last week’s #2 ranking. SmackDown ranked #3 in the 25-54 demo, ending a two-week streak at #1. SmackDown came in at #7 for the night in viewership on network TV, even with last week’s #7 spot. Blue Bloods on CBS topped the night on network TV in viewership this week with 6.051 million viewers.

The MLB ALCS game between the Red Sox and the Astros on FS1 topped the night on the Cable Top 150 with a 1.29 key demo rating. The MLB ALCS game on FS1 also topped the night on cable in viewership with 5.812 million viewers.

Friday’s SmackDown had competition from the MLB and the NBA but held its own and stayed at around what the show has been doing since SummerSlam. Friday’s viewership was up 4.75% from the last FOX episode, while the key demo rating was up 11.53% from the last FOX episode.

Viewership for Friday’s SmackDown episode was up 155.28% from the same week in 2020, while Friday’s 18-49 key demo rating was up 132% from the same week in 2020. This not significant as the 2020 episode aired on FS1.

Friday’s live post-Crown Jewel edition of SmackDown from the the Intrust Bank Arena in Wichita, Kansas had just a few happenings advertised ahead of time – fallout from Crown Jewel, an appearance by Brock Lesnar, a post-Draft new era for the brand, King Xavier Woods’ King of the Ring Coronation, and the Women’s Title Exchange segment with RAW Women’s Champion Becky Lynch and SmackDown Women’s Champion Charlotte Flair, which was the show-closer.

Stay tuned for more ratings data. Below is our 2021 SmackDown Viewership Tracker, along with the Top 10 moments from Friday’s show:

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: 2.191 million viewers with a 0.57 rating in the 18-49 demographic (post-Fastlane episode)
April 2 Episode: 2.137 million viewers with a 0.57 rating in the 18-49 demographic
April 9 Episode: 2.250 million viewers with a 0.61 rating in the 18-49 demographic
April 16 Episode: 2.119 million viewers with a 0.56 rating in the 18-49 demographic (post-WrestleMania 37 episode)
April 23 Episode: 2.121 million viewers with a 0.54 rating in the 18-49 demographic
April 30 Episode: 2.018 million viewers with a 0.49 rating in the 18-49 demographic
May 7 Episode: 2.282 million viewers with a 0.65 rating in the 18-49 demographic (Throwback episode)
May 14 Episode: 1.917 million viewers with a 0.44 rating in the 18-49 demographic
May 21 Episode: 1.933 million viewers with a 0.50 rating in the 18-49 demographic (post-WrestleMania Backlash episode)
May 28 Episode: 1.928 million viewers with a 0.50 rating in the 18-49 demographic
June 4 Episode: 1.883 million viewers with a 0.50 rating in the 18-49 demographic
June 11 Episode: 1.944 million viewers with a 0.48 rating in the 18-49 demographic
June 18 Episode: 2.045 million viewers with a 0.54 rating in the 18-49 demographic
June 25 Episode: 1.971 million viewers with a 0.54 rating in the 18-49 demographic (post-Hell In a Cell episode)
July 2 Episode: 1.861 million viewers with a 0.46 rating in the 18-49 demographic
July 9 Episode: 1.986 million viewers with a 0.48 rating in the 18-49 demographic (Final ThunderDome era)
July 16 Episode: 2.310 million viewers with a 0.66 rating in the 18-49 demographic (Return to the road episode)
July 23 Episode: 2.137 million viewers with a 0.55 rating in the 18-49 demographic (Post-Money In the Bank episode)
July 30 Episode: 2.043 million viewers with a 0.57 rating in the 18-49 demographic
August 6 Episode: 2.169 million viewers with a 0.61 rating in the 18-49 demographic
August 13 Episode: 2.084 million viewers with a 0.58 rating in the 18-49 demographic
August 20 Episode: 2.102 million viewers with a 0.57 rating in the 18-49 demographic
August 27 Episode: 2.250 million viewers with a 0.59 rating in the 18-49 demographic (Post-SummerSlam episode)
September 3 Episode: 2.220 million viewers with a 0.62 rating in the 18-49 demographic
September 10 Episode: 2.383 million viewers with a 0.65 rating in the 18-49 demographic (Super SmackDown episode)
September 17 Episode: 2.243 million viewers with a 0.58 rating in the 18-49 demographic
September 24 Episode: 2.135 million viewers with a 0.55 rating in the 18-49 demographic
October 1 Episode: 2.252 million viewers with a 0.62 rating in the 18-49 demographic (Draft Night 1 post-Extreme Rules episode)
October 8 Episode: 2.147 million viewers with a 0.52 rating in the 18-49 demographic (Season premiere episode)
October 15 Episode: 866,000 viewers with a 0.24 rating in the 18-49 demographic (Supersized episode on cable FS1)
October 22 Episode: 2.249 million viewers with a 0.58 rating in the 18-49 demographic (Post-Crown Jewel episode)
October 29 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