The ratings are in for the season premiere of WWE SmackDown, and the blue brand pulled an average of 1.987 million viewers . These numbers are courtesy of ShowBuzzDaily.
The numbers, which are just overnight numbers thus far and not the final ratings, signify a decrease of 8.8% from the previous week. In terms of overall viewership, this week’s show placed 7th, behind 20/20, Greatest #AtHome Videos, Undercover Boss, Blue Bloods, Dateline NBC and Shark Tank. The latter topped the chart with an average of 3.8 million viewers.
In terms of key demographic, though, SmackDown fared much better. For ages 18-49, SmackDown scored a 0.5 rating, placing second – just behind Shark Tank.
The show featured two championship matches, as Roman Reigns defended the WWE Universal Championship against Braun Strowman, while Dolph Ziggler and Robert Roode would challenge The Street Profits for the SmackDown Tag Team Championships. Several WWE Hall of Famers also appeared in the ThunderDome during the show.
The final ratings are set to be released on Monday.
As of 17/10, the top segments for SmackDown on YouTube are as follows:
- Roman Reigns vs. Braun Strowman – Universal Championship Match – 1.4 million
- Bayley backs away from contract signing with Sasha Banks – 611,000
- The Street Profits vs. Ziggler & Roode – SmackDown Tag Team Title Match – 223,000