The promotion surrounding WrestleMania 40 spiked Friday Night SmackDown’s audience, which was its largest since August.
The February 9 episode of SmackDown from Charlotte averaged 2,578,000 viewers and 985,000 (0.75) in the 18-49 demographic, per Wrestlenomics and Sports Media Watch.
The audience was up 4% from the previous week and up 1.5% in the 18-49 audience – representing SmackDown’s largest figures since August 25, 2023, which was the tribute show for Bray Wyatt and Terry Funk.
Among sports programming, SmackDown distanced itself from everything with the closest competition coming from a CBS special on the greatest Super Bowl ads in history, which averaged a 0.35 in the demo but averaged 4,926,000 viewers. There was a doubleheader from the NBA with both games airing on NBA TV and SmackDown aired against the Atlanta Hawks vs. Philadelphia 76ers, which averaged 368,000 viewers and 0.12 in the demo. There was also college basketball and softball on ESPN & ESPN 2.
In Canada, SmackDown averaged 218,300 viewers and 95,600 in the 25-54 demographic on Sportsnet 360, which was fourth among sports on Friday.
AEW Rampage had a terrific audience with 456,000 viewers and 186,000 (0.14) in the 18-49 demo.
It was Rampage’s largest overall audience since last April and its best performance in the key demo since October 13.
Rampage was up 45% in viewers from the previous episode and increased by 39% in the demo. Adults 18-34 experienced a 19% gain to 56,000 viewers and Adults 35-49 grew by 49% this week to 130,000 viewers (the largest in the 35-49 since August 11).
The show was headlined by Kris Statlander & Willow Nightingale against Ruby Soho & Saraya and included The Undisputed Kingdom vs. Orange Cassidy, Rocky Romero & Trent Beretta, Mistico vs. Matt Sydal, and a match involving the Young Bucks.
Rampage aired against the end of the Hawks vs. 76ers and the beginning of the Golden State Warriors vs. L.A. Lakers, which averaged 570,000 viewers and 0.20 in the demo.
Wrestlenomics reports that the peak quarter for Rampage was during the first fifteen minutes with 495,000 viewers and 207,000 in the demo.
