The special live episode of SmackDown on USA shed some viewers but gained in the all-important 18 – 49 demographic rating top hit the highest mark since early summer. Last night’s episode brought in 2.264 million viewers and a 0.71 demo rating, down 3% and up 11% respectively from last week’s 2.332 million and 0.64. Even with the slight dip, the viewership was the highest since the November 12th episode did 2.294 million viewers while the demo rating was the best since the June 11th episode had a 0.73.
With last night’s episode being a live Tuesday episode on USA during a week that is known for its erratic viewing, there isn’t a lot that can be taken from these numbers. However, it’s definitely a better sign for Smackdown’s official debut on USA next month than a demo rating drop would have been.
The show ranked third among cable originals for the night behind Curse of Oak Island on the History Channel (1.0 demo rating, 3.404 million viewers) and Fixer Upper on Home & Garden TV (0.82 rating, 3.173 million viewers).
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