Friday’s live Extreme Rules go-home edition of the WWE SmackDown on FOX season premiere drew an average of 2.243 million viewers on FOX, according to Nielsen, via Showbuzz Daily.
This final number is up 1.63% from the previous week’s final viewership of 2.207 million viewers.
Friday’s SmackDown drew a 0.54 rating in the key 18-49 demographic. This is even with the previous week’s 0.54 rating. This past week’s 0.54 key demo rating represents 704,000 18-49 viewers, which is even with the 704,000 18-49 viewers that the previous week’s 0.54 key demo rating drew, according to Wrestlenomics.
SmackDown ranked #1 in ratings for the key 18-49 demographic on network TV, even with the previous week’s #1 ranking, and the eleven weeks before that. SmackDown ranked #2 in the 18-34 demo this week, even with the previous week’s #2 ranking. SmackDown ranked #3 in the 25-54 demo, down from the previous week’s #1 ranking, and the end of a thirteen-week streak at #1 in the demo. SmackDown came in at #7 for the night in viewership on network TV, which is even with the previous week’s #7 ranking. While SmackDown topped the night on network TV in the key demographic, Blue Bloods on CBS topped the night in viewership with 6.397 million viewers, also drawing a 0.41 key demo rating.
Friday’s SmackDown drew the ninth-highest total audience of the year so far, and is tied with two other episodes for the ninth-highest key demo rating of the year so far. Sports competition from Friday included three MLB Wild Card Series games on ESPN, and College Football on FS1 and ESPN2. Friday’s viewership was up 1.63% from the previous week’s episode, while the key demo rating was even with the previous week’s episode.
Viewership for Friday’s SmackDown episode was up 4.47% from the same week in 2021, while Friday’s 18-49 key demo rating was up 3.84% from the same week in 2021. The 2021 episode was also the Season Premiere show.
The MLB Wild Card Series game between the Padres and the Mets on ESPN topped the night on the Cable Top 150 with a 0.99 key demo rating. The Padres vs. Mets game also topped the night on cable in viewership with 3.609 million viewers.
Friday’s SmackDown season premiere aired live from the DCU Center in Worcester, MA, with the following line-up advertised ahead of time – the go-home build for Extreme Rules, Solo Sikoa vs. Ricochet, an in-ring face off between Undisputed WWE Universal Champion Roman Reigns and Logan Paul, plus WWE Intercontinental Champion GUNTHER defending against Sheamus, which was the main event.
Stay tuned for more ratings data. Below is our 2022 SmackDown Viewership Tracker, along with the Top 10 moments from Friday’s show:
January 7 Episode: 2.271 million viewers with a 0.58 rating in the 18-49 demographic (Post-Day 1 episode)
January 14 Episode: 2.174 million viewers with a 0.56 rating in the 18-49 demographic
January 21 Episode: 2.255 million viewers with a 0.64 rating in the 18-49 demographic
January 28 Episode: 2.217 million viewers with a 0.56 rating in the 18-49 demographic
February 4 Episode: 2.151 million viewers with a rating in the 18-49 demographic (Post-Royal Rumble episode)
February 11 Episode: 2.231 million viewers with a 0.55 rating in the 18-49 demographic
February 18 Episode: 2.173 million viewers with a 0.54 rating in the 18-49 demographic (Taped episode)
February 25 Episode: 2.114 million viewers with a 0.57 rating in the 18-49 demographic (Post-Elimination Chamber episode)
March 4 Episode: 2.261 million viewers with a 0.59 rating in the 18-49 demographic
March 11 Episode: 2.226 million viewers with a 0.57 rating in the 18-49 demographic
March 18 Episode: 2.147 million viewers with a 0.58 rating in the 18-49 demographic
March 25 Episode: 2.180 million viewers with a 0.49 rating in the 18-49 demographic
April 1 Episode: 2.359 million viewers with a 0.61 rating in the 18-49 demographic (WrestleMania SmackDown episode)
April 8 Episode: 2.230 million viewers with a 0.60 rating in the 18-49 demographic (Post-WrestleMania 38 episode)
April 15 Episode: 2.142 million viewers with a 0.48 rating in the 18-49 demographic
April 22 Episode: 1.952 million viewers with a 0.47 rating in the 18-49 demographic
April 29 Episode: 1.953 million viewers with a 0.38 rating in the 18-49 demographic (Taped episode)
May 6 Episode: 1.998 million viewers with a 0.46 rating in the 18-49 demographic
May 13 Episode: 1.893 million viewers with a 0.40 rating in the 18-49 demographic (Post-WrestleMania Backlash episode)
May 20 Episode: 2.031 million viewers with a 0.45 rating in the 18-49 demographic
May 27 Episode: 1.878 million viewers with a 0.43 rating in the 18-49 demographic
June 3 Episode: 1.939 million viewers with a 0.47 rating in the 18-49 demographic
June 10 Episode: 1.914 million viewers with a 0.44 rating in the 18-49 demographic (Post-Hell In a Cell episode)
June 17 Episode: 2.389 million viewers with a 0.62 rating in the 18-49 demographic
June 24 Episode: 2.231 million viewers with a 0.53 rating in the 18-49 demographic
July 1 Episode: 2.142 million viewers with a 0.49 rating in the 18-49 demographic
July 8 Episode: 2.129 million viewers with a 0.47 rating in the 18-49 demographic (Post-Money In the Bank episode)
July 15 Episode: 2.077 million viewers with a 0.47 rating in the 18-49 demographic
July 22 Episode: 2.256 million viewers with a 0.62 rating in the 18-49 demographic
July 29 Episode: 2.193 million viewers with a 0.52 rating in the 18-49 demographic
August 5 Episode: 2.093 million viewers with a 0.49 rating in the 18-49 demographic (Post-SummerSlam episode)
August 12 Episode: 1.927 million viewers with a 0.44 rating in the 18-49 demographic
August 19 Episode: 2.084 million viewers with a 0.47 rating in the 18-49 demographic (1200th episode)
August 26 Episode: 1.990 million viewers with a 0.48 rating in the 18-49 demographic
September 2 Episode: 2.077 million viewers with a 0.49 rating in the 18-49 demographic (Taped episode)
September 9 Episode: 2.367 million viewers with a 0.57 rating in the 18-49 demographic (Post-Clash at The Castle episode)
September 16 Episode: 2.212 million viewers with a 0.50 rating in the 18-49 demographic
September 23 Episode: 2.535 million viewers with a 0.62 rating in the 18-49 demographic
September 30 Episode: 2.207 million viewers with a 0.54 rating in the 18-49 demographic
October 7 Episode: 2.243 million viewers with a 0.54 rating in the 18-49 demographic (Season Premiere)
October 14 Episode:
2021 Viewership Average: 2.050 million viewers per episode (2,082,154 without Best Of episode)
2021 18-49 Key Demo Rating Average: 0.54 rating per episode (0.55 without Best Of episode)
2021 FOX Viewership Average: 2.127 million viewers per episode
2021 FOX 18-49 Key Demo Rating Average: 0.56 rating per episode
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
Follow Marc on Twitter at @this_is_marc. Send any news, tips or corrections to us by clicking here.
