WWE SmackDown scores big ratings with John Cena’s Return

Despite his powers of invisibility, people tuned in to see Cena.

February 29, 2020

The overnight ratings for this week’s episode of WWE Friday Night SmackDown in Boston, MA at the TD Garden are in, and they’re looking good.

Thanks to the return of John Cena to WWE television for the first time in 2020 the company drew an average of 0.8 rating in the 18-49 demographic, which was for #1 for the night. According to Showbuzz Daily overall ratings drew an average of 2.717 million viewers, with the first hour pulling 2.736 million viewers and hour two dropping a bit to pull 2.697 million viewers. Last week’s episode drew which drew an average of 2.484 million viewers with a 0.7 rating in the 18-49 demographic.

Should these numbers hold up when the full official numbers are released on Monday, this would mean WWE scored its best SmackDown ratings of 2020 and its third best ratings since moving to FOX. WWE SmackDown premiered on FOX on October 4 drawing 3.888 million viewers and the following week pulling in 2.877 million viewers.

SmackDown was #8 for the night among the networks in viewership, the same ranking it held last week. It came in behind American Housewife, The Blacklist, Shark Tank, 20/20, MacGyver, Hawaii Five-O, Blue Bloods, Lincoln Rhyme, and Dateline. Hawaii Five-O sat atop the rankings Friday evening at 6.800 million viewers.