WWE has been facing a problem with the ratings of RAW and SmackDown sliding every week since the start of the pandemic. WWE SmackDown drew an average of 1.892 million viewers this week according to the report from Showbuzz Daily. This was yet another drop from the last week, although it should be noted that these are the overnight numbers and the actual numbers will be in later in the week.
WWE SmackDown ratings continue to drop
This week's episode of WWE SmackDown came in with 1.892 million viewers on average. The first hour of the show came to 1.873 million viewers while the second hour went to 1.911 million viewers.
They also had an impressive 0.5 rating for the 18-49 demographic. This was tied at No. 1 for the night alongside Shark Tank. This, if the number holds up, will be down 1.7 percent from last week's episode of WWE SmackDown. That particular episode drew in 1.924 million viewers with a similar 0.5 rating in the 18-49 demographic.
Overall, WWE has been getting a drop in the ratings on a regular basis for a while now. This week's episode of SmackDown was actually impressive, with The Fiend attacking Alexa Bliss, Mandy Rose and Sonya Deville's segment, and the heel turn of Shorty G (aka Chad Gable), where he joined his old rival, King Corbin, to attack Matt Riddle because of the 'King's Ransom'.
WWE SmackDown came in eighth for the night among networks in viewership behind Shark Tank, Magnum P. I., Greatest At Home Videos, Blue Bloods, The Wall, and Dateline NBC.
Vince McMahon on WWE ratings dropping
During the recent quarterly calls, Vince McMahon talked about the ratings for WWE shows dropping in recent months, explaining that the lack of an audience was one of the major reasons for the change.
“As far as ratings are concerned, more than any other sport...the audience is integral to our success and our television ratings. Again because interaction, or lack thereof. Not withstanding that, I think that we can have more compelling characters, better storylines, new characters coming in to where we are right now, and more content that’s not necessarily in the ring, but that focuses on our personalities and their story outside of the ring.”
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