WWE SmackDown Ratings Drop 15% on Black Friday Amid Stiff Sports Competition

Friday night's episode of WWE SmackDown on the USA Network averaged 1.341 million viewers, reflecting a 15% drop compared to the previous week. This marks the second-lowest audience total since the show's return to the network in September.

The pre-taped episode served as the go-home show for Survivor Series and ranked first on cable and fourth across all prime-time television. It recorded a 0.40 rating in the key 18-49 demographic, a 13% decline from the November 22 episode, tying its status as the second-lowest-rated edition since moving back to USA.

SmackDown faced tough competition on Black Friday, with college football games on Fox, NBC, and ABC collectively drawing nearly 15 million viewers and a 2.82 rating in the 18-49 demo.

Compared to the same week in 2023, when the show aired on Fox, SmackDown experienced a significant year-over-year decline of 34.4% in total viewership and a 32.2% drop in the 18-49 demographic rating.

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