WWE SmackDown Viewership for October 29 on FS1 Sees Sharp Decline

The October 29, 2021 WWE SmackDown episode on FS1 last Friday averaged 835,000 viewers, marking a significant drop of 62.57% from the previous week’s 2.231 million viewers on FOX, according to Showbuzz Daily.

While this might seem like a dramatic decline, the comparison is somewhat irrelevant as the previous week’s episode aired on FOX, a network television channel, while Friday’s episode aired on FS1, a cable network.

The switch from network to cable explains much of the decrease in viewership, but the numbers still provide insight into how WWE performs when moved off its usual platform.

In the key 18-49 demographic, Friday’s SmackDown garnered a 0.23 rating, attracting 305,000 viewers in that group. This is a 55.01% decrease from the 0.52 rating and 678,000 viewers in the 18-49 demo from the prior week. These drops are also expected due to the shift from FOX to FS1.

For comparison, the last time WWE SmackDown aired on FS1 was for the Halloween episode on October 29, 2021, which drew 1.032 million viewers and 373,000 key demo viewers, with a 0.29 rating in the 18-49 demographic. Friday’s episode saw a 19.08% drop in overall viewership and a lower key demo rating and ranking compared to the October 2021 episode.

In terms of rankings, Friday’s SmackDown secured the #5 spot in the Cable Top 150 with its 0.23 key demo rating, down from the #3 ranking of the 2021 FS1 episode. The show ranked #34 in total cable viewership for the night, also a drop from the 2021 episode’s #24 ranking.

While the numbers show a decline, the move from FOX to FS1 is the key factor behind the significant drop in viewership and ratings, and WWE is expected to bounce back once SmackDown returns to FOX.

What are your thoughts on WWE SmackDown’s performance on FS1? Share your thoughts in the comments below!