Since its transition to USA Network, "WWE SmackDown" has struggled to eclipse the 2 million viewer mark, with many shows since the beginning of November posting a number lower than 1.5 million viewers. That being said, the blue brand started off the new year on a strong note, with the January 3 edition drawing the second-highest viewership for the show in the last month. Since then, "SmackDown's" viewership has only decreased, with last weeks episode dangerously close to pulling in a number lower than 1.4 million. 

According to Wrestlenomics, "SmackDown" averaged 1,403,000 viewers and a 0.42 rating in the key 18-49 demographic. When comparing both categories to last week, total viewership decreased by 2%, while seeing a 5% bump in the 18-49 demo. Unfortunately, "SmackDown's" numbers have drastically changed since this time last year, with total viewership dropping by a whopping 40% and the 18-49 demo also declining by 36% since January 2024. However, the program still managed to rank #1 for the night on cable in the 18-49 demo, finishing above the Orlando Magic and Boston Celtics game on ESPN.

"SmackDown" was held from the Pechanga Arena in San Diego, California last Friday, and WWE's ticket sales at the venue continue to be strong. Last weeks show sold 10,982 tickets, just slightly lower than the amount of tickets distributed for "WWE Raw" last January. It's also a significant improvement from how the red brand performed at the arena in both 2021 and 2022, when they sold under 7,000 tickets. It remains to be seen if "SmackDown" will continue to fall below the 1.5 million viewer mark now that the show has become three hours, or if ratings will rise with  WrestleMania on the horizon.