Initial viewership data suggests WWE SmackDown delivered a powerful performance in the key advertising demographic this past Friday night, May 2nd, 2025. According to the preliminary figures, the show, airing live on USA Network, outperformed every major broadcast television network among viewers aged 18 to 49.
The data indicates SmackDown averaged 469,000 viewers within the coveted 18-49 demographic. This figure placed it significantly ahead of its broadcast competitors for the night. For comparison, the demo viewership for the broadcast networks on Friday was: ABC with 266,000, CBS with 225,000, NBC with 220,000, FOX with 142,000, and The CW with 76,000. SmackDown beat its closest broadcast competitor (ABC) by over 200,000 viewers in this demographic.
The May 2nd episode emanated from the Wells Fargo Arena in Des Moines, Iowa, and featured the advertised in-ring return of Aleister Black against The Miz, as well as an appearance by Randy Orton just over a week before his “One Last Time” Undisputed WWE Championship match against John Cena at Backlash. This strong demo showing continues SmackDown’s trend of being a top performer on Friday nights.
