WWE SmackDown has experienced a rise in both viewership and ratings following a Halloween episode that marked a record low for the show. On November 7th, the numbers climbed, and the trend continued with the November 14th episode, confirming it wasn’t just a one-time spike.
According to a report from Programming Insider, the November 14th SmackDown episode attracted 1.158 million viewers on USA Network, up from 1.141 million the previous week. The 18-49 demographic rating rose slightly from 0.26 to 0.27. SmackDown secured the second spot on cable TV for the night, just behind ESPN’s Clemson vs. Louisville college football game, which drew 2.564 million viewers and had a demo rating of 0.53, more than doubling SmackDown’s rating.
Regarding the show’s content, fans were surprised to see Zack Ryder appear, although they were aware L.A. Knight would face an unknown opponent. This match was part of the “Last Time is Now Tournament,” designed to determine John Cena’s final opponent for his retirement match on December 13th. Knight defeated Ryder, who now wrestles as Matt Cardona in TNA and the indie circuit, marking Ryder’s first WWE match since March 2020.
The show also ended with Drew McIntyre attacking Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes and joining forces with Bron Breaker, Bronson Reed, and Logan Paul in the upcoming WarGames match at Survivor Series on November 29. On WWE Raw, Brock Lesnar allied with them, while Roman Reigns sided with Rhodes, WWE World Heavyweight Champion CM Punk, and the Uso brothers.
Other highlights included United States Champion Ilya Dragunov defeating Axiom in an open challenge, WWE Women’s Champion Jade Cargill beating B-Fab, and Jey Uso winning against The Miz in the tournament’s first round. The next tournament matches on November 21st will feature Penta vs. Finn Balor and Carmelo Hayes vs. Bronson Reed, without any mystery opponents this time, but still promising excitement.
Fan Take: This surge in SmackDown’s ratings and viewership reflects WWE’s ability to bounce back from setbacks and keep fans engaged with fresh storylines and surprise appearances. With John Cena’s retirement match drawing nearer and high-stakes matchups building, the excitement is palpable, promising memorable moments for WWE enthusiasts and potentially boosting the sport’s popularity even further.
