Friday Night SmackDown remained the top program on television for its night while the live episode of AEW Rampage failed to grow.
The March 3rd edition of SmackDown from Washington, D.C. averaged 2,451,000 viewers and approximately 770,000 (0.59) in the 18-49 demographic, per Wrestlenomics and Showbuzz Daily.
The numbers represented a small two percent increase in overall viewership while the key demo audience fell by five percent.
It was the top program across all network and cable programming on Friday with Shark Tank at 0.48 on ABC, and Fire Country at 0.46 on CBS as its closest network competitors in the demo.
SmackDown fell eight percent among adults 18-34 with the 35-49 demographic decreasing by four percent from last week.
The show included the first face-to-face confrontation between Roman Reigns and Cody Rhodes since Rhodes’ return to the company and winning this year’s Royal Rumble to earn the title shot. SmackDown was headlined by a match between Sami Zayn and Solo Sikoa.
In Canada, the show averaged approximately 215,000 viewers and 88,000 in the 25-54 demographic on Sportsnet 360, which are down 10.5 and 17 percent respectively from last week and finished fifth among sports programs on Friday.
The live episode of AEW Rampage on TNT averaged 394,000 viewers and approximately 130,000 (0.10) in the 18-49 demographic.
The audience fell four percent from last week while the 18-49 audience declined six percent. This week’s key demo audience replaces last week’s number as the second lowest for Rampage in its normal time slot since its launch in August 2021.
The show ranked #32 among cable originals on Friday and aired against the Memphis Grizzlies vs. Denver Nuggets, which topped cable with 1,240,000 viewers and 0.41 in the demo.
In the 18-49 demo, female viewership dropped ten percent and men declined by 4.5 percent from last week.
The 18-34 audience fell by 17 percent (its lowest audience in that demo in the normal time slot since December 2, 2022).
Adults 35-54 were steady with a one percent decline from last week’s show.
The live episode from the Cow Palace included a main event of Dustin Rhodes & Keith Lee against Swerve Strickland & Parker Boudreaux.
After Rampage, the Countdown to AEW Revolution averaged 184,000 viewers and 0.04 in the demo, which was #94 among cable originals.
It was the least-watched countdown special that AEW has produced. Last year, the five countdown specials averaged 240,000 viewers and 0.06 in the demo.
