WWE SmackDown Draws Lowest Viewership of 2025 – The May 16th edition of WWE SmackDown saw a significant decline in viewership, drawing 1.29 million viewers on USA Network, according to Wrestlenomics. That number is down from the 1.455 million viewers who tuned in the previous week.
The episode also posted a 0.36 rating in the 18-49 key demographic, a drop from the 0.41 it scored on May 9th. This marks SmackDown’s lowest total audience since November 15, 2024, and the show finished fourth overall on cable for the night.
The primary competition came from ESPN’s coverage of the NBA Playoffs. Game 6 between the New York Knicks and Indiana Pacers dominated the night, pulling in 5.726 million viewers and a massive 1.63 demo rating. The game’s pre-show and post-game coverage also outperformed SmackDown, taking second and third place in the cable rankings.
Despite the ratings drop, the episode featured several noteworthy developments. The show opened with a fiery promo segment featuring Solo Sikoa, Jacob Fatu, and JC Mateo, which was interrupted by LA Knight. Knight got a few shots in before retreating, further escalating his rivalry with the new Bloodline.
In Money in the Bank qualifying action, Solo Sikoa and Alexa Bliss emerged victorious in their respective triple threat matches. Elsewhere, Aleister Black faced Carmelo Hayes in a rematch, which ended in a disqualification win for Black after The Miz interfered.
The main event saw Tiffany Stratton successfully defend her WWE Women’s Championship against Nia Jax.
Top 5 Most Viewed WWE SmackDown (5/16) YouTube Videos:
- R-Truth to battle John Cena at Saturday Night’s Main Event – 993K views
- LA Knight ATTACKS JC Mateo as Jacob Fatu confronts Solo Sikoa – 841K views
- FULL MATCH: Tiffany Stratton def. Nia Jax in title match – 664K views
- JC Mateo defeats LA Knight in WWE debut – 449K views
- Alexa Bliss qualifies for Women’s Money in the Bank – 416K views
WWE SmackDown Draws Lowest Viewership of 2025
