Smackdown Rating: Back at the top of cable rankings, highest viewership since post-WrestleMania episodes, almost beats year-ago number

The July 16 episode of WWE Smackdown on USA Network drew a 1.55 rating and 2.122 million viewers among live and same-night-DVR viewers, up from the prior week’s 1.41 and well above the rolling ten week average heading into this week of 1.42.It’s the highest rating for Smackdown since the Superstar Shake-up week after WrestleMania on Apr. 16 when ratings were at or above 1.60 for seven straight weeks before the post-WrestleMania drop. It was the first viewership number above two million since June 4.

One year ago Smackdown drew a 1.56, so this week’s rating almost topped the year-ago rating, which would have been the first instance of that this year.

The current yearly average is 1.51, below the year-ago average through this week of 1.73. The rating two years ago this week was 1.70.

Smackdown finished on top of the Tuesday cable rankings among the 18-49 demographic with a 0.7 rating, reclaiming the top rope above Bravo’s “Housewives of Beverly Bills” which drew a 0.6. “Chrisly Knows Best” on USA following Smackdown drew a 0.4 rating in that demo and finished third for the night with total viewership fo 1.212.

Three cable news shows topped Smackdown in total viewers on Tuesday night – “Hannity” and “Tucker Carlson Tonight” on Fox News and “The Rachel Maddow Show” on MSNBC.

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