Friday’s taped Crown Jewel go-home edition of WWE SmackDown drew an average of 2.131 million viewers on FOX, according to Nielsen, via Showbuzz Daily.
This final number is up 155.21% from the previous week’s final viewership of 835,000 viewers for the special FS1 episode. This comparison is irrelevant as the previous week’s episode aired on cable, while Friday’s show was back on the normal channel, FOX network TV. The final viewership was down 4.48% from the last episode to air on FOX, which drew 2.231 million viewers.
These numbers are also irrelevant due to the cable-to-network change, but Friday’s SmackDown drew a 0.48 rating in the key 18-49 demographic. This is up 108.69% from the previous week’s 0.23 rating. This past week’s 0.48 key demo rating represents 626,000 18-49 viewers, which is up 105.25% from the 305,000 18-49 viewers that the previous week’s 0.23 key demo rating drew, according to Wrestlenomics. SmackDown’s 0.48 key demo rating is down 7.69% from the 0.52 key demo rating that the last FOX episode drew. The 626,000 18-49 viewers are down 7.66% from the 678,000 18-49 viewers that the last FOX episode drew.
SmackDown ranked #2 in ratings for the key 18-49 demographic on network TV, down from the #1 ranking for the last FOX episode, and the fourteen straight weeks before that. SmackDown ranked #4 in the 18-34 demo this past week, even with the #4 ranking from the last FOX episode. SmackDown ranked #3 in the 25-54 demo, up from the #2 ranking for the last FOX episode. SmackDown came in at #8 for the night in viewership on network TV, which is down from the #7 ranking for the four straight previous episodes on FOX. Ricos Tambien Lloran on Univision topped the night on network TV in the 18-49 key demographic with a 0.54 rating, also drawing 1.618 million viewers. Blue Bloods on CBS topped the night on network TV in viewership with 6.093 million viewers, also drawing a 0.35 key demo rating.
Friday’s SmackDown drew the lowest total audience on FOX since the taped show on September 2, and the lowest key demo rating on FOX since August 26. Sports competition from Friday included two NBA games on ESPN, and two College Football games on ESPN2. Friday’s viewership was down 4.48% from the last FOX episode to air before last week’s FS1 episode, while the key demo rating was down 7.69% from the last FOX episode to air before Friday’s FS1 episode.
Viewership for Friday’s SmackDown episode was up 1.81% from the same week in 2021, while Friday’s 18-49 key demo rating was down 15.78% from the same week in 2021. The 2021 show was also coming off a FS1 episode.
The NBA game between the Bulls and the Celtics on ESPN topped the night on the Cable Top 150 with a 0.50 key demo rating, also drawing 1.472 million viewers. Tucker Carlson Tonight on FOX News topped the night on cable in viewership with 3.492 million viewers, also drawing a 0.20 key demo rating for the #6 spot on the Cable Top 150.
Friday’s Crown Jewel go-home edition of SmackDown aired on a tape delay from the Enterprise Center in St. Louis, Missouri, with full spoilers and the following available ahead of time – Liv Morgan vs. Sonya Deville in a No DQ match as the opener, LA Knight vs. Ricochet, Shayna Baszler vs. Natalya, Braun Strowman vs. 5 local enhancement wrestlers, plus WWE Intercontinental Champion GUNTHER defending against Rey Mysterio in 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: 2.274 million viewers with a 0.54 rating in the 18-49 demographic (Post-Extreme Rules episode)
October 21 Episode: 2.231 million viewers with a 0.52 rating in the 18-49 demographic
October 28 Episode: 835,000 viewers with a 0.23 rating in the 18-49 demographic (FS1 cable episode)
November 4 Episode: 2.131 million viewers with a 0.48 rating in the 18-49 demographic (Taped episode)
November 11 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
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