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WWE SmackDown ratings rise despite World Series rivalry
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WWE SmackDown ratings rise despite World Series rivalry

Friday night’s episode of WWE SmackDown average 1.418 million viewers There was a 2.9 percent increase on USA Network compared to the previous week. This is the show’s second-lowest audience total since returning to USA Network.

SmackDown earned a 0.43 rating in the 18-49 demo. This was up 2.4 percent from last week, but was also the show’s second-lowest score in this category since September when it returned to the United States.

The show competed head-to-head with game one of the World Series between the Los Angeles Dodgers and New York Yankees, which averaged more than 15 million viewers. This was the best attendance for a World Series game since 2017. This is the first time these two iconic franchises have met in the World Series since 1981.

Compared to the same week in 2023, when SmackDown moved from Fox to FS1 due to World Series coverage, the show’s overall audience was up 23.8 percent and its 18-49 rating was up 22.9 percent. That’s a fairer comparison than the annual numbers in recent weeks, as FS1 and USA Network are in a similar number of households.

Below are the past 11 weeks of overall viewing totals and 18-49 demo ratings for SmackDown, as well as the 10-week averages in both categories. The first four weeks were broadcast on Fox, and the last seven episodes were broadcast on USA Network. This week’s show was down 18.8 percent in overall viewers and 14 percent in 18-49 compared to recent averages.

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