The "WWE SmackDown" go-home show for WrestleMania 41 saw a sizable increase in overall viewership and an even bigger gain in the key demographic ratings, registering the highest ratings since returning to the USA Network.
The April 18, 2025, show saw viewership rise to 1.741 million, which is a 12 percent gain over last week's 1.551 million, as per "Programming Insider." The show was only second behind the NBA Playoffs game betweenthe Miami Heat and Atlanta Hawks, which drew 1.798 million overall viewers.The 1.741 million figure is also the joint-highest tied with the March 7, 2025 episode for the blue brand since its move to USA Network last September. Friday night's show was also 17 percent higher than the trailing four-week average for "SmackDown."
"SmackDown's" key demographic ratings were even more impressive as it delivered a0.55 rating, 22 percent higher than last week's 0.45 rating, and 28 percent higher than the four-week average. The 0.55 rating means that this show is the highest rated show since WWE moved back to the USA Network last year, with the previous highest being the August 16, 2024 show.While the show was second in the 18-49 key demographic behind the NBA game, it ranked #1 in the 25-45 demographic ahead of the Heat-Hawks game.
The star-studded "SmackDown" show, which was the final stop before WrestleMania 41, saw the likes of Seth Rollins, Cody Rhodes, John Cena, Randy Orton, and the women's title match competitiors Rhea Ripley, Bianca Belair, and Iyo Sky in promo segments, while the Andre the Giant Memorial battle royal and theTag Team Championship also took place on the show.This week's upcoming episode of SmackDown will feature the fallout from WrestleMania 41 and will emanate from Dickies Arena, where a TLC match for the WWE Tag Team Titles is scheduled to take place.
