WWE Smackdown rating (8/21): Did CM Punk vs. Kevin Owens for the WWE Championship boost the numbers opposite NFL preseason games?

By Jason Powell, ProWrestling.net Editor (@prowrestlingnet)

WWE Friday Night Smackdown finished with an average of 1.28 million viewers for USA Network, according to Brandon Thurston of Wrestlenomics.com. The number was up compared to the previous episode’s 1.247 million average.

Powell’s POV: Friday’s Smackdown finished with a 0.32 rating in the 18-49 demographic, up from the previous week’s 0.25 rating. Smackdown ran against NFL Network’s coverage of a preseason doubleheader and one regional game. One year earlier, the August 22, 2025, Smackdown averaged 1.258 million viewers and a 0.35 rating for USA Network.

(Jason Powell, founder and editor of ProWrestling.net, has covered pro wrestling full-time dating back to 1997. He hosts a weekly podcast, Pro Wrestling Boom, and also appears regularly on the Wade Keller Pro Wrestling Podcast. Reach him via email at dotnetjason@gmail.com and on social media via @prowrestlingnet.bsky.social or x.com/prowrestlingnet. For his full bio and information on this website, click here.)

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