WWE SmackDown Halloween draws low ratings amid sports competition

WWE SmackDown’s Halloween episode on Friday drew 933,000 viewers on USA Network and posted a 0.20 rating in the 18 to 49 demographic, marking the show’s lowest audience and demo totals for an original episode on the network, according to ratings data. The figures represent roughly a 19 percent drop in total viewers and a 31 percent decline in the key demo from the previous week’s 1.147 million viewers and 0.29 rating.

The episode aired against heavy competition, most notably game six of the MLB World Series, which drew roughly 17.4 million viewers on Fox and dominated primetime viewing. The program also fell on Halloween night, a date that historically depresses wrestling television audiences, and faced additional sports competition from college football. Despite the drop, SmackDown remained the top cable original for the night.

Analysts and ratings trackers note that comparisons with past weeks and year over year are complicated by a recent overhaul of Nielsen’s measurement system. Nielsen implemented a new Big Data Panel in the early fall, and that change has correlated with lower-than-usual ratings for wrestling programming. Across 2025, SmackDown is averaging about a 0.403...