Friday Night SmackDown posted its largest 18-49 viewership in years for the go-home episode before WrestleMania.
The March 31st edition from Los Angeles averaged 2,484,000 viewers and approximately 900,000 (0.69) in the 18-49 demographic, per Wrestlenomics and Showbuzz Daily.
It was SmackDown’s largest 18-49 audience since December 25, 2020, which was aided by a giant audience from the NFL as its lead-in. The 18-49 audience was up 19 percent from the previous week.
It was also SmackDown’s largest audience since January 27, which was the night before the Royal Rumble, and was up 12 percent from last week.
SmackDown ranked first among network programs and was third on all of television behind coverage of the women’s NCAA basketball game between Iowa and South Carolina on ESPN.
It was another tremendous Canadian audience for SmackDown with an average of 315,700 viewers and 157,600 in the 25-54 demographic on Sportsnet 360. It was the most-watched SmackDown in years, surpassing the recent episode on March 10 that averaged 302,100. SmackDown was second among sports programs in the country on Friday and ranked first in the demo.
AEW Rampage returned to its normal night and time slot and posted its lowest audience ever in the regular time.
The March 31st show averaged 340,000 viewers and approximately 130,000 (0.10) in the 18-49 demographic and ranked #41 among cable originals, per Wrestlenomics and Showbuzz Daily.
The last two episodes aired outside the normal time or the regular night. Compared to three weeks ago when the show aired in its normal spot, this week’s show dropped 24 percent in viewers and declined 35 percent in the key demographic.
Rampage aired against the WWE Hall of Fame ceremony on Peacock, ROH’s Supercard of Honor, and the Iowa vs. South Carolina basketball game that topped cable with 5,175,000 viewers and 1.27 in the demo.
