While the red side of WWE was still recovering from the disintegration of The New Day, the blue side of the company had some major moments of their own on the December 6 episode of “WWE SmackDown.” It was the first episode after the Survivor Series Premium Live Event, and with the return of Saturday Night’s Main Event right around the corner on December 14, how many people tuned in to see all of the action unfold live?
According to “Wrestlenomics,” the December 6 episode of “SmackDown” averaged a total of 1,494,000 viewers, up 11 percent from the episode that aired seven days earlier that not only averaged 1,341,000 viewers but had the disadvantage of being a taped show. This week’s show also put “SmackDown” 5 percent above the trailing four-week average which stood at 1,422,000 viewers.
There was also an increase in the key 18-49 demographic, which rose from a 0.40 number on November 29, to 0.44, marking an increase of 10 percent for the week and 7 percent above the trailing four-week average that was a 0.41 number. According to the “Programming Insider,” this number put “SmackDown” in a position they are getting used to since moving back to the USA Network. The show was top of the primetime rankings for all cable telecasts on Friday night, beating the likes of FOX News, the Hallmark original movie “Private Princess Christmas,” and the NBA game between the Milwaukee Bucks and the Boston Celtics on ESPN.
When including network telecasts, “SmackDown” ranked third for the evening in the 18-49 demographic. The show was only beaten by the airing of “Rudolph The Red Nose Reindeer” on NBC, which finished second in total viewership for the night, and the college football game between Boise State and UNLV on FOX in first.
