:format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/57208949/103_SD_10172017ej_2646__ef4db9d7684c55d9fd0df9b5ed956a7d.0.jpg)
There was no football, but SmackDown did run into two baseball playoff games - featuring teams from the country’s three biggest markets - and the first night of the NBA regular season.
And the results were pretty predictable, but still disappointing.
WWE’s Tuesday night broadcast had an audience of 2,320,000 on Oct. 17, down from the week before and matching the lowest mark of the past four months. Which wouldn’t be that disheartening if one of the times they hit it wasn’t just two weeks ago. In terms of viewership among cable originals, that was good for ninth behind five games/sports shows and three political talkfests.
The rating among 18 - 49 year olds took a big hit as well, dropping to .73 from last week’s .80, meaning SmackDown finished ninth in a category it usually sits at or near the top of.
Competition shouldn’t be as steep next week, but live sports will remain an alternative for television watchers for the foreseeable future. Can the return of Shane McMahon and AJ Styles vs. Sunil Singh do what Jinder Mahal’s big announcement and the Kevin Owens/Sami Zayn team in the main event couldn’t?
Let us know what you think after you consider this rundown of the blue brand’s numbers this year:
Oct. 10 - 2.47 million
Oct. 3 - 2.32 million
Sept. 26 - 2.54 million
Sept. 19 - 2.51 million
Sept. 12 - 2.75 million
Sept. 5 - 2.58 million
Aug. 29 - 2.46 million
Aug. 22 - 2.69 million
Aug. 15 - 2.53 million
Aug. 8 - 2.58 million
Aug. 1 - 2.57 million
July 25 - 2.54 million
July 18 - 2.55 million
July 11 - 2.47 million
July 4 - 2.32 million
June 27 - 2.60 million
June 20 - 2.6 million
June 13 - 2.072 million
June 6 - 2.349 million
May 30 - 2.35 million
May 23 - 2.33 million
May 16 - 2.175 million
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
Feb. 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.
Source: Showbuzz Daily