Viewership Increases, Demo Rating Drops For June 11 WWE SmackDown
A mixed bag for the blue brand
WWE SmackDown on FOX saw a sharp increase in overall viewership on Friday night, while experiencing a decline in the key 18-49 demo.
Per SpoilerTV, SmackDown averaged 1,853,000 viewers for Friday night's program, up 61,000 viewers (3.4 percent) from last week's overnight viewership of 1,792,000.
This marks SmackDown's highest viewership since the May 7 "throwback" episode (2,157,000 viewers in the overnights).
SmackDown did experience a considerable drop between hours, averaging 1,899,000 viewers for hour one, and 1,806,000 for hour two, almost a five percent decrease.
While the viewership is up from a week ago, the 18-49 demo rating fell from a .50 last week to a .40 this week. Nonetheless, that .40 rating was still tied for the Friday night network lead, with the 9 PM EST airing of 20/20 on ABC.
SmackDown finished third in viewership in its time slots, managing to beat out NBC's airing of the Minions movie (1,519,000 viewers).
LAST FIVE SMACKDOWN BROADCASTS (OVERNIGHT VIEWERSHIP)
* May 14 - 1,800,000 / .40 demo
* May 21 - 1,830,000 / .50 demo
* May 28 - 1,755,000 / .40 demo
* June 4 - 1,792,000 / .50 demo
* June 11 - 1,853,000 / .40 demo
Written by Justin Henry
In addition to writing lists and commentaries for Cultaholic, Justin is also a features writer and interviewer for Fighting Spirit Magazine, and is co-author of the WWE-related book Titan Screwed: Lost Smiles, Stunners, and Screwjobs.
