WWE Friday Night Smackdown viewership dips up against NBC’s Olympic coverage – demo details, perspective, key metrics

WWE Smackdown on Friday night on Fox drew a live and same-night viewership total of 2.137 million viewers, down from 2.310 million the prior week. NBC’s Olympic coverage was expected to draw viewers away from Smackdown, but Smackdown still drew well above its prior ten-week average of 1.97 million viewers before the return to live crowds in arenas two weeks ago.

Smackdown drew 1.924 million viewers one year ago this week at the Performance Center. It drew 2.162 million two years ago this week (7/23/19). That episode did not go up against Olympic coverage, and it was on USA Network on Tuesday night rather than Fox on Friday night.

The overall rating last Friday was 1.31, down from 1.41, but again above the 1.22 rating average of the ten weeks before returning to live touring and leaving ThunderDome. It ranked no. 2 for the night in that demo behind NBC’s Olympic coverage.

In the key 18-49 demographic, Smackdown drew a 0.55 rating, down from the prior week’s 0.66, but still above the prior ten-week average in ThunderDome of 0.46.

In the male 18-49 demo, it drew 0l66, down from 0.93. In the 18-34 male demo, it drew 0.40, down from 0.60.