Smackdown Rating: Viewership rebounds above two weeks ago level with special episode featuring NXT invasion after wrestlers stranded extra day in Saudi Arabia

WWE Friday Night Smackdown on Fox last Friday, Nov. 1, Smackdown rebounded to 2.52 million viewers among live and same-night-DVR viewers, up from 2.42 million viewers two weeks earlier the last time WWE was on Fox. Last week, when Smackdown was bumped to FS1 due to the World Series, viewership dropped to 888,000.

One year ago, Smackdown on Tuesday on USA drew 2.11 million viewers, so Fox is drawing more viewers. but underperforming considering the heavy hype during MLW and NFL games and other Fox shows plus the expanded universe of viewers with the broadcast channel compared to the USA Network cable show. The heavily-hyped premiere drew 3.88 million viewers featuring The Rock, but viewership has dropped under 3 million every week since.

Smackdown finished no. 1 for the night on broadcast TV in the targeted 18-49 demographic with a 0.8 rating, beating CBS’s “Hawaii Five-O” which drew a 0.7 rating (but nearly triple the viewership due to strong older viewership).

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