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TV RATINGS

WWE Smackdown on USA Network
Fri, Oct. 18, 2024: 8:00 to 10:00 pm
1,378,000 viewers (P2+)
P18-49 rating: 0.42

Confirmed by Wrestlenomics, according to a Nielsen source.

Competition note: Oregon vs. Purdue college football game on Fox averaged a 0.48 P18-49 rating and 2.147 million viewers, according to Programming Insider. On cable , Smackdown ranked #3 in primetime and #6 for the day in P18-49. The Yankees vs. Guardians MLB ALCS game on TBS led with a 1.27 P18-49 rating and 5.1 million viewers. The NLCS game (Dodgers vs. Mets) on FS1 averaged 0.96 and 4.32 million viewers. Smackdown was ahead of the WNBA final game (Game 4) on ESPN averaged a 0.41 rating and 1.667 million viewers.

This was the sixth and least-watched yet of Smackdown since returning to USA Network.

Note that many of the comparisons below are based on viewership for episodes that aired on Fox.

P2+ comparisons:

This episode vs. last week (1,652,000): -17%
This episode vs. trailing four weeks (1,558,000): -12%
Current 2024-Q4 P2+ average (1,516,000) vs. 2023-Q4 (2,149,000): -29%
Current Oct 2024 P2+ average (1,516,000) vs. Oct 2023 (2,330,000): -35%

P18-49 comparisons:

This episode vs. last week (0.49): -14%
This episode vs. trailing four weeks (0.46): -9%
Current 2024-Q4 P18-49 average (0.46) vs. 2023-Q4 (0.56): -18%
Current Oct 2024 P18-49 average (0.46) vs. Oct 2023 (0.62): -26%

Viewer counts for this week’s episode with the difference versus the median of the last 4 non-preemption episodes in parentheses:

P2+: 1378k (-11%)
P18-49: 560k (-9%)
Non-P18-49: 818k (-12%)

Data Subscribers have access to the Wrestlenomics Viewership Spreadsheet.

LIVE EVENTS

Data from WrestleTix

WWE Smackdown
Friday, October 18, 2024
Columbia, SC at Colonial Life Arena
Estimated tickets distributed: 10,111

Market-to-market comparisons (Columbia, SC):

2021-08-15 (Sun) – WWE Supershow: 6,626 (+53% vs. 10,111)
2022-02-21 (Mon) – WWE Raw: 6,813 (+48%)
2022-03-30 (Wed) – AEW Dynamite: 4,704 (+115%)
2023-05-19 (Fri) – WWE Smackdown: 10,355 (-2%) ← SAME EVENT TYPE

Year-over-year comparison for this event type:
Current 2024-Q4 WWE Smackdown average: (9,318) vs. 2023-Q4 (10,370): -10%

DIGITAL

As of 6:04 pm, Oct 21

Most-viewed YouTube videos on WWE’s official channel:

1.) 1,507,884 – Jey Uso has a tense exchange with Roman Reigns
2.) 1,053,837 – Jey Uso confronts Solo Sikoa
3.) 579,987 – Roman Reigns doesn’t need Jey Uso
4.) 429,215 – The Motor City Machine Guns make their first WWE entrance
5.) 419,215 – The Bloodline drag Jimmy Uso out from the back
6.) 349,815 – The Motor City Machine Guns debut
7.) 234,836 – Kevin Owens defends his actions on Cody Rhodes and Randy Orton

RECEPTION

As of 6:05 pm, Oct 21

Event rating:

Cagematch.net voter rating: 6.03 (58 votes)
This episode vs. last week (6.9): -13%
This episode vs. trailing four weeks (6.86): -12%
Current 2024-Q4 average (6.73) vs. 2023-Q4 (6.89): -2%

Match ratings:

6.60 (66 votes) – Pretty Deadly (Elton Prince & Kit Wilson) and The Street Profits (Angelo Dawkins & Montez Ford) vs. #DIY (Johnny Gargano & Tommaso Ciampa)
6.26 (72 votes) – A-Town Down Under (Austin Theory & Grayson Waller) and Los Garza (Angel & Berto) vs. The Motor City Machine Guns (Alex Shelley & Chris Sabin)
3.53 (54 votes) – Candice LeRae & Nia Jax vs. Bayley & Naomi
Ineligible (<5 mins) – Piper Niven vs. Lash Legend