Wrestling viewership continues to drop sharply under Nielsen’s updated ratings system.

Friday’s WWE SmackDown on USA Network drew an average of 1.03 million viewers, a 19 percent decrease from the previous week. This marks the lowest audience since the show returned to USA Network and the smallest total since November 2023, when an episode aired on FS1 due to college football coverage on Fox.

These past two weeks have been the first under Nielsen’s new “Big Data + Panel” measurement model, which replaces the traditional panel-only approach. The system combines digital and streaming data with traditional TV samples, but so far it has led to lower reported numbers for pro wrestling broadcasts across the board.

SmackDown ranked third on cable for the night with a 0.23 rating in the 18–49 demographic, a 34 percent drop from last week and the show’s lowest rating in that demo since moving to USA. It ties the lowest score ever for a first-run episode of SmackDown. Only a “Best Of” special on FS1 in 2021 drew a smaller number, with a 0.08 rating.

Despite no MLB playoff games airing on Friday, the show still faced competition from the WNBA Finals on ESPN, which led all of cable with a 0.44 in the key demo and 1.86 million total viewers.

Compared to the same week last year, when Nielsen was still using the old methodology, SmackDown’s overall viewership was down 32 percent, while its 18–49 rating dropped by more than half at 51 percent.

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