Friday’s live edition of WWE SmackDown drew an average of 2.257 million viewers on FOX, according to Nielsen, via Showbuzz Daily.
This final number is down 14.14% from the previous week’s final viewership of 2.629 million viewers for the live episode.
Friday’s first SmackDown of 2023 drew a 0.53 rating in the key 18-49 demographic. This is down 17.18% from the previous week’s 0.64 rating. This past week’s 0.53 key demo rating represents 691,000 18-49 viewers, which is down 17.24% from the 835,000 18-49 viewers that the previous week’s 0.64 key demo rating drew, according to Wrestlenomics.
SmackDown ranked #2 in ratings for the key 18-49 demographic on network TV, down from the previous week’s #1 ranking, and the two weeks before that, and tied with Shark Tank on ABC for the night. SmackDown ranked #3 in the 18-34 demo this week, down from the previous week’s #1 ranking and the one week before that. SmackDown ranked #4 in the 25-54 demo, down from the previous week’s #1 ranking and the two weeks before that. SmackDown came in at #7 for the night in viewership on network TV, down from the previous week’s #5 ranking. Fire Country on CBS topped the day on network TV in viewership with an average of 6.570 million viewers, and in the 18-49 key demo rating with a 0.56.
The first SmackDown of 2023 drew just over the 2022 FOX viewership average, which was 2.173 million viewers per episode, and even with the 2022 FOX rating average, which was a 0.53 key demo rating per episode over 50 FOX episodes. As noted, last Friday’s final SmackDown of 2022 drew the highest total audience since December 25, 2020 and the highest key demo rating since January 21, 2022. Additional cable sports competition on Friday included two NBA games on ESPN, PGA Tour coverage on the Golf Channel, one Liga MC Soccer game on TUDN, one Women’s College Basketball game on ESPN2, one College Basketball game on ESPN2, and College Wrestling coverage on Big Ten Network. Friday’s SmackDown viewership was down 14.14% from the previous week, and the key demo rating was down 17.18% from the previous week.
Viewership for Friday’s SmackDown episode was down 0.62% from the same week in 2022, while Friday’s 18-49 key demo rating was down 8.62% from the same week in 2022. The 2022 episode was the post-Day 1 show.
The NBA game between the Nets and the Pelicans on ESPN topped the day on the Cable Top 150 with a 0.46 key demo rating, also drawing 1.326 million viewers. FOX News at Night at 11pm topped the night on cable in viewership with 3.423 million viewers, also drawing a 0.27 key demo rating.
Friday’s SmackDown aired live from the FedEx Forum in Memphis, Tennessee, with the following line-up advertised ahead of time – SmackDown officially welcomes back new Women’s Champion Charlotte Flair, Ricochet vs. “Top Dolla” AJ Francis in a Royal Rumble qualifier, plus Undisputed WWE Tag Team Champions The Usos defending against Sheamus and Drew McIntyre, which was the main event.
Below is our 2023 SmackDown Viewership Tracker, along with the Top 10 moments from Friday’s show:
January 6 Episode: 2.257 million viewers with a 0.53 rating in the 18-49 demographic
January 13 Episode:
2022 Viewership Average: 2.123 million viewers per episode over 52 episodes
2022 18-49 Key Demo Rating Average: 0.51 rating per episode over 52 episodes
2022 FOX Viewership Average: 2.173 million viewers per episode over 50 episodes
2022 FOX 18-49 Key Demo Rating Average: 0.53 rating per episode over 50 episodes
2021 Viewership Average: 2.050 million viewers per episode over 52 episodes (2,082,154 without Best Of episode)
2021 18-49 Key Demo Rating Average: 0.54 rating per episode over 52 episodes (0.55 without Best Of episode)
2021 FOX Viewership Average: 2.127 million viewers per episode over 50 episodes
2021 FOX 18-49 Key Demo Rating Average: 0.56 rating per episode over 50 episodes
2021 FS1 Viewership Average: 758,667 viewers per episode (includes Best Of episode; 949,000 without it)
2021 FS1 18-49 Key Demo Rating Average: 0.20 rating per episode (includes Best Of episode; 0.27 without it)
2020 Viewership Average: 2.180 million viewers per episode (2 FS1 airings)
2019 Viewership Average: 2.164 million viewers per episode (1 FS1 airing)
2018 Viewership Average: 2.352 million viewers per episode
2017 Viewership Average: 2.546 million viewers per episode
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