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WWE have of course been struggling with flagging ratings across their programming over the past few years. The forced re-invention of the on-screen presentation and style caused by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic accelerated this, until the introduction of the ThunderDome calmed the drop somewhat.
Last week’s episode of SmackDown on FOX saw a massive boost in viewership for the main event segment. Sasha Banks vs Bayley was a rematch from their Hell In a Cell bout and it drew a massive 2.52 million viewers, with the SmackDown Women’s title match becoming the most viewed contest since the ‘pandemic era’ began.
Dave Meltzer confirmed also on this week’s issue of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter that the match also drew massively in other ways:
The Sasha Banks vs. Bayley women’s title match on the 11/6 Smackdown show did a whopping 2.52 million viewers for its entire presentation over the first half. It was the most-watched match and segment on WWE television since before the pandemic. The entire reason for the rating was the women’s title match, and the entire gain over previous weeks was because the show did a monster numbers with women 18-34, likely the best number any wrestling show has done in that demo since the early part of the year.
Credit: Dave Meltzer Of The Wrestling Observer Newsletter