Viewership for the June 9th episode of WWE SmackDown might have dipped from the previous week, but the ratings still make great reading for the sports entertainment giant.
The episode pulled in an average of 2.278 million viewers which was down 11% from Roman Reigns’ Championship Celebration a week earlier. However, that figure represents a 19% increase from 2022.
There was also good news in the 18-49-year-old demographic where the show scored a 0.60 rating, which equates to 789,000 viewers. Again, that number is a large increase on 2022, this time a jump of 39%.
WWE Introduces New Women’s Championship
While the June 9th episode of SmackDown saw the continuation of drama inside The Bloodline, the show also featured the introduction of a new Women’s Championship and the return of Charlotte Flair.
As Adam Pearce presented Asuka with her new championship gold, replacing the Raw Women’s Title, the party was interrupted by The Queen. This was the first time that Flair had been seen in WWE since being defeated by Rhea Ripley at WrestleMania.
Flair immediately challenged the champion who tried to hit the mist, but the returning star ducked, kicking Asuka in the head.
With regard to The Bloodline, Paul Heyman tried to keep Jey Uso onside by saying that Reigns wants to groom him to be the next Tribal Chief. This set up a match between Jey and United States Champion Austin Theory in the main event.
The match ended in chaos with Jimmy trying to come to the aid of his brother, but he only ended up brawling with Solo Sikoa and accidentally kicking Jey. The show went off the air with Heyman calling Reigns.