WWE SmackDown delivered one of its strongest audiences in months on Friday night, with viewership up notably following its recent broadcast change.
The February 27 episode of SmackDown averaged 1.379 million viewers on the USA Network, according to available ratings data. That figure represents a 23.9 per cent increase compared to the previous week’s episode, which aired on SyFy.
The audience total marks the second-highest viewership for SmackDown since September 5.
In the key 18–49 demographic, the show posted a 0.34 rating, up 17.2 per cent from the prior week. The number ties the second-highest rating the show has achieved in that category since September 19.
Despite facing strong competition from live sports, the programme performed well across cable television. SmackDown aired head-to-head with an NBA game on ESPN, which topped the cable rankings for the night. Even with that competition, WWE’s Friday night show finished second on the cable charts in the 18–49 demographic and fifth overall across television for the evening.
WWE SmackDown Viewership Yearly Trend
While the weekly performance for WWE SmackDown showed strong growth, the year-over-year comparison paints a different picture. Compared with the same week in 2025, overall viewership was down 20.3 per cent, while the 18–49 demographic rating declined 36.4 per cent.
Looking at recent trends, however, the February 27 broadcast significantly outperformed the show’s recent averages. Over the previous ten weeks, SmackDown averaged approximately 1.108 million viewers with a 0.26 rating in the 18–49 demo.
This week’s episode exceeded those figures by 24.4 per cent in total viewers and 30.8 per cent in the key demographic, indicating a noticeable short-term rebound.
Below is a breakdown of the show’s viewership and demographic performance over the past eleven weeks, along with the current ten-week averages:
| Date | 18–49 Rating | Total Viewers |
|---|---|---|
| December 19, 2025 | 0.21 | 995,000 |
| December 26, 2025 | 0.27 | 1,138,000 |
| January 2, 2026 | 0.28 | 1,175,000 |
| January 9, 2026 | 0.26 | 990,000 |
| January 16, 2026 | 0.21 | 968,000 |
| January 23, 2026 | 0.22 | 943,000 |
| January 30, 2026 | 0.29 | 1,260,000 |
| February 6, 2026 | 0.35 | 1,459,000 |
| February 13, 2026 | 0.26 | 1,042,000 |
| February 20, 2026 | 0.29 | 1,113,000 |
| February 27, 2026 | 0.34 | 1,379,000 |
| 10-week average | 0.26 | 1,108,300 |
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