WWE SmackDown at MSG’s opening hour aired The Bloodline instead of wrestling, and the show’s viewership increased as a result.
Fast national ratings indicate that 2.375 million people watched WWE SmackDown, including 875,000 in the key 18-to-49 year old demographic. SmackDown is expected to have the highest 18-49 cable rating. Recent data suggests that SmackDown’s final viewership was 2.46 million in total viewers and a massive 940,000 in the 18-49 demographic. Fast national figures are often lower than finals. SmackDown’s last episode last week was seen by 2.344 million people and 792,000 people aged 18 to 49. SmackDown’s MSG show’s final ratings will be released early next week.
In front of a sold-out audience of 13,519, WWE is now at the height of its powers, presenting a unique broadcast from the world’s most recognised venue. The SmackDown that took place last night at Madison Square Garden was the highest-grossing SmackDown in WWE history, domestically. The return of Edge, who beat Grayson Waller in Waller’s main roster debut, plus the appearance of Reigns and The Bloodline gave SmackDown a sense of everyone pitching in. Despite SmackDown’s recent success with another overseas performance at Money in the Bank, which brought the largest stadium gate in WWE history, WWE is charging forward with plans for a SummerSlam concert at Ford Field in Detroit, which has already sold almost 42,000 tickets.
Tribal Court kicked off SmackDown, and Roman Reigns was sitting in the hot seat after suffering his first pinfall defeat of 2019. In the main event of a red-hot WWE Money in the Bank at the O2 Arena, Jey Uso scored the winning pinfall to further the decline of Roman Reigns’ reign. The Roman Reigns Tribal Court used the time-tested Bloodline method, which included soap-operatic manipulation and hints of discord among all members of the Bloodline.
