WWE SmackDown Viewership And Key Demo Rating For The WrestleMania Backlash Go-Home Episode

Friday's live WrestleMania Backlash go-home edition of WWE SmackDown drew an average of 1.998 million viewers on FOX, according to Nielsen, via Showbuzz Daily.

This final number is up 2.3% from the previous week's final viewership of 1.953 million viewers for the taped show.

Friday's SmackDown drew a 0.46 rating in the key 18-49 demographic. This is up 21.05% from the previous week's 0.38 rating. This week's 0.46 key demo rating represents 600,000 18-49 viewers, which is up 22.45% from the 490,000 18-49 viewers that the previous week's 0.38 key demo rating drew, according to Wrestlenomics.

SmackDown ranked #1 in ratings for the key 18-49 demographic on network TV, tied with Shark Rank and up from the previous week's #2 ranking. SmackDown ranked #1 in the 18-34 demo this week, up from the previous week's #2 ranking. SmackDown ranked #4 in the 25-54 demo, even with the previous week's #4 ranking. SmackDown came in at #8 for the night in viewership on network TV, down from the previous week's #7 ranking. While SmackDown and Shark Tank topped the 18-49 key demographic on network TV this week with the 0.46 key demo rating, Blue Bloods on CBS topped the night in viewership with 6.227 million viewers.

Friday's live SmackDown drew the second-lowest key demo rating of the year, and the third-lowest audience of the year. While the show was tied for #1 on network TV, it was topped by two NBA Playoff games, Sportscenter and NBA Courtside on cable TV. Friday's viewership was up 2.3% from the previous week's episode, while the key demo rating was up 21.05% from the previous week's episode.

Viewership for Friday's SmackDown episode was down 12.44% from the same week in 2021, while Friday's 18-49 key demo rating was down 29.23% from the same week in 2021. The 2021 show was the Throwback SmackDown special, which went against one regular NBA game, not the Playoffs.

The NBA Playoffs game between the Suns and the Mavericks on ESPN topped the night on the Cable Top 150 with a 1.59 key demo rating. The Suns vs. Mavericks NBA game also topped the night on cable in viewership with 4.478 million viewers.

Friday's WrestleMania Backlash go-home edition of SmackDown aired live from the Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum in Uniondale, NY with the following line-up advertised – the final WrestleMania Backlash build, a face-off for The Bloodline vs. RAW Tag Team Champions RK-Bro and Drew McIntyre, WWE Women's Tag Team Champion Sasha Banks vs. Shayna Baszler, and The New Day vs. Sheamus and Kofi Kingston in a Tables Match.

Stay tuned for more ratings data. Below is our 2022 SmackDown Viewership Tracker, along with the Top 10 moments from Friday's show:

January 7 Episode: 2.271 million viewers with a 0.58 rating in the 18-49 demographic (Post-Day 1 episode)
January 14 Episode: 2.174 million viewers with a 0.56 rating in the 18-49 demographic
January 21 Episode: 2.255 million viewers with a 0.64 rating in the 18-49 demographic
January 28 Episode: 2.217 million viewers with a 0.56 rating in the 18-49 demographic
February 4 Episode: 2.151 million viewers with a 0.51 rating in the 18-49 demographic (Post-Royal Rumble episode)
February 11 Episode: 2.231 million viewers with a 0.55 rating in the 18-49 demographic
February 18 Episode: 2.173 million viewers with a 0.54 rating in the 18-49 demographic (Taped episode)
February 25 Episode: 2.114 million viewers with a 0.57 rating in the 18-49 demographic (Post-Elimination Chamber episode)
March 4 Episode: 2.261 million viewers with a 0.59 rating in the 18-49 demographic
March 11 Episode: 2.226 million viewers with a 0.57 rating in the 18-49 demographic
March 18 Episode: 2.147 million viewers with a 0.58 rating in the 18-49 demographic
March 25 Episode: 2.180 million viewers with a 0.49 rating in the 18-49 demographic
April 1 Episode: 2.359 million viewers with a 0.61 rating in the 18-49 demographic (WrestleMania SmackDown episode)
April 8 Episode: 2.230 million viewers with a 0.60 rating in the 18-49 demographic (Post-WrestleMania 38 episode)
April 15 Episode: 2.142 million viewers with a 0.48 rating in the 18-49 demographic
April 22 Episode: 1.952 million viewers with a 0.47 rating in the 18-49 demographic
April 29 Episode: 1.953 million viewers with a 0.38 rating in the 18-49 demographic (Taped episode)
May 6 Episode: 1.998 million viewers with a 0.46 rating in the 18-49 demographic
May 13 Episode:

2021 Viewership Average: 2.050 million viewers per episode (2,082,154 without Best Of episode)
2021 18-49 Key Demo Rating Average: 0.54 rating per episode (0.55 without Best Of episode)

2021 FOX Viewership Average: 2.127 million viewers per episode
2021 FOX 18-49 Key Demo Rating Average: 0.56 rating per episode

2021 FS1 Viewership Average: 758,667 viewers per episode (includes Best Of episode; 949,000 without it)
2021 FS1 18-49 Key Demo Rating Average: 0.20 rating per episode (includes Best Of episode; 0.27 without it)

2020 Viewership Average: 2.180 million viewers per episode (2 FS1 airings)

2019 Viewership Average: 2.164 million viewers per episode (1 FS1 airing)

2018 Viewership Average: 2.352 million viewers per episode

2017 Viewership Average: 2.546 million viewers per episode