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What's the story?
Hell in a Cell comes to us this weekend, and unfortunately, the go-home show of SmackDown Live did not draw in big numbers. After RAW's viewership saw a decline this past week, SmackDown Live's numbers fell too.
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Some have attributed this fall to the not every exciting main event match, featuring Brie Bella and Maryse. I would like to thank Wrestling Inc. for the figures and statistics used in this article.
In case you didn't know...
Much like RAW this week, SmackDown Live was a very by the numbers show. Neither Samoa Joe nor AJ Styles actually had in-ring segments but cut promos on each other in backstage/empty arena interviews that were telecast during the episode.
Charlotte Flair took on Sonya Deville while Jeff Hardy took on Shinsuke Nakamura. The main event saw Maryse and Brie Bella take each other on. Many fans on social media called it a very disappointing show indeed.
The heart of the matter
In terms of actual numbers, this week's episode of SmackDown Live only brought in 2.229 million viewers overall. This is a massive decline of 3.9% as compared to last week's viewership of 2.319 million people who tuned in to watch the action unfold.
Much like RAW, every episode of SmackDown Live since SummerSlam has seen a constant dip in audience viewership. This proves that while the audience was interested in the proceedings after SummerSlam ended, the product has not been able to build up effectively leading up to Hell in a Cell, this weekend. I wonder if this loss of momentum will affect viewership, going into Hell in a Cell.
What's next?
Hell In a Cell comes our way this weekend. Both RAW and SmackDown Live will want to put their best foot forward. Much is at stake for performers of both WWE brands.
Which brand do you folks prefer these days? RAW or SmackDown Live?
