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What's the story?
This week's episode of SmackDown Live was, in our estimation, the strongest in weeks. This reflected in the results as well, as the brand did one of its best numbers.
It was also a significant improvement as compared to last week's viewership. Thank you to Showbuzz Daily for the viewership statistics and number.
In case you didn't know...
Dubbed Sin City SmackDown, this was almost as strong as a pay-per-view card, from top to bottom. Not only did it feature three title matches but also a return from Vince McMahon, who graced the blue brand after four long years.
The finish saw him sprawled on the ground, at the hands of Kevin Owens, following a head butt. Crowd favourites 'The New Day' also regained their SmackDown tag team championships from The Usos. The crowd was satisfied, and this reflected in the viewership!
The heart of the matter
While last week's episode of SmackDown Live had scored a decent viewership number of 2.582 million; this week's episode was significantly higher than that figure. This episode featured a 72-year old billionaire taking bumps and that made 2.754 million viewers tune in to watch the action.
Not only is this a good number, it's one of the highest that the blue brand has scored since its inception. Let's hope this wave of momentum continues. Although we cannot expect Vince McMahon on a weekly basis, he may have paved the way for other performers to excel.
What's next?
In the aftermath of the vicious attack on Vince McMahon, Shane McMahon will return for revenge and retribution. His feud with Kevin Owens should be one of the most entertaining contests for fans in the coming weeks. Expect a crazy spot during their match at 'Hell in a Cell'.
Author's take
I loved this episode of SmackDown Live and thought that it had a great sense of continuity and purpose that's generally missing during other weeks. The numbers are well deserved! Take a bow, Road Dogg and team.
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