Smackdown Rating: Increase coincides with Raw increase, year-ago comparison, more stats (w/Keller’s Analysis)

WWE Smackdown this week drew a 1.92 rating, above the previous week’s rating of 1.79 (an increase of 0.13) and in line with WWE Raw’s rating going up also (by 0.13, too). This is the second highest rating since before Thanksgiving last year; the peak rating was 2.02 on Dec. 27 when Smackdown actually beat Raw.

Smackdown one year ago drew a 1.87 rating, so unlike Raw, this Smackdown rating is actually above year-ago levels.

Keller’s Analysis: It’s noteworthy that both Raw and Smackdown increased by the same rating’s percentage. Post-football, even though Smackdown didn’t face football directly, some fans are just shifting back to pro wrestling, perhaps. It’s like a lot of NBA and NHL fans pay barely peripheral attention to the NBA or NHL until the NFL season ends. I think WWE is happy that, despite a downward trend for Raw year-over-year, Smackdown is bucking the Raw trend and the larger cable trend. Of course being on USA Network, being live, and having exclusive use of John Cena, A.J. Styles, Randy Orton, The Miz, among others, also contributes to Smackdown feeling more important and most “must see.”