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With a loaded show featuring all the big angles for their upcoming pay-per-view (PPV), you’d think SmackDown could match the modest audience gain Raw made the night before.
No such luck.
Viewers hit a new low for 2017 at 2.175 million on May 16 (good for ninth best among cable originals on the night) and the rating among 18 - 49 year olds also dropped to .68 (a fourth place finish among the same group).
Competition was tough. Not only was there an NBA Western Conference finals game on, but it was the basketball league’s draft lottery, as well. Those joined the usual politics and news shows in beating SmackDown in audience size, with the NBA and ESPN’s SportsCenter finishing in front of WWE in ratings share.
We’ll see if they can generate some buzz at Backlash and start to make their way back to the two-and-a-half million neighborhood they were comfortably living in before WrestleMania.
Here’s a rundown of the blue brand’s audiences this year:
May 9 - 2.348 million
May 2 - 2.3 million
April 25 - 2.49 million
April 18 - 2.54 million
April 11 - 3.11 million
April 4 - 2.89 million
March 29 - 2.7 million
March 21 - 2.65 million
March 14 - 2.63 million
March 7 - 2.74 million
February 28 - 2.57 million
Feb. 21 - 2.79 million
Feb. 14 - 2.63 million
Feb. 7 - 2.63 million
Jan. 31 - 2.82 million
Jan. 24 - 2.56 million
Jan. 17 - 2.65 million
Jan. 10 -2.53 million
Jan. 3 - 2.59 million
For complete results and the live blog for SmackDown this week click here. To read a complete recap & review of all the night’s events click here. For a full playlist of the show click here.