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The November 29, 2024, edition of WWE SmackDown marked the final stop on the road to the Survivor Series Premium Live Event in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, set for November 30. The episode featured key moments, including Jacob Fatu securing an advantage for Solo Sikoa’s Bloodline in the WarGames match, Michin advancing to the next round of the Women’s United States Championship tournament, and a crucial sit-down between Roman Reigns, CM Punk, and Paul Heyman to ensure solidarity within The OG Bloodline.
Despite the action-packed episode, SmackDown‘s viewership saw a notable decline. According to Wrestlenomics, the November 29 show averaged 1.341 million viewers, representing a 15% drop from the previous week’s 1.578 million viewers. This also marks a 7% decrease from the four-week average of 1.444 million viewers. The Thanksgiving season, combined with the competition from football broadcasts, likely contributed to the lower numbers.
The key 18-49 demographic also experienced a drop in viewership, with the rating falling from 0.46 on November 22 to 0.40 on November 29, a 13% decrease, as reported by Programming Insider. Despite this decline, SmackDown still managed to rank as the top cable telecast for the evening, outperforming the NBA game between the Los Angeles Clippers and the Minnesota Timberwolves on ESPN. When factoring in network broadcasts, SmackDown ranked third for the evening, trailing behind college football games airing on ABC and NBC.
Fans who tuned in were treated to a series of exciting matchups, including Cody Rhodes defeating Carmelo Hayes in a non-title match, Shinsuke Nakamura defeating Andrade in singles action, and the final moments before the women’s WarGames match, where the competitors engaged in a heated brawl less than 24 hours before their showdown.
While viewership numbers dipped, SmackDown still delivered an action-packed episode ahead of the highly anticipated Survivor Series event.
