WWE SmackDown ratings down for taped episode from Saudi Arabia

Cody Rhodes

Friday’s WWE SmackDown from Saudi Arabia averaged 2.147 million viewers on Fox, down 1.8 percent from the prior week. It’s the show’s third-lowest audience total of 2024 to date.

The show drew a 0.56 rating in the 18-49 demo, down 5.1 percent from the prior week. This is the lowest rating SmackDown has done in 2024.

The episode, which was taped in advance, took place in Jeddah for the first time ever and was the go-home show for Saturday’s King & Queen of the Ring.

It went head-to-head with game two of the NBA’s Western Conference Finals on both TNT and TruTV that averaged 6.27 million viewers combined (1.99 rating in 18-49) as well as game two of the NHL’s Eastern Conference Finals on ESPN that averaged 2.12 million viewers (0.66 in 18-49).

As compared to the same week in 2023, SmackDown’s overall viewership was down 0.5 percent but its 18-49 rating was up 7.7 percent.

Listed below are the last 11 weeks of overall viewership totals and 18-49 demo ratings for SmackDown, along with the 10-week average in both categories. This week’s show was down 5.9 percent in overall viewers and down 12.5 percent in 18-49 as compared to the recent averages.

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Paul Fontaine
Paul Fontaine

Paul Fontaine is a writer and podcaster covering both pro wrestling and mixed martial art. He has been a contributor to F4W Online for over 10 years, focusing mostly on the business side of both sports.