WWE Smackdown rating: How did the show with the unadvertised return of Cody Rhodes perform?

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

WWE Friday Night Smackdown finished with an average of 1.308 million viewers for USA Network, according to ProgrammingInsider.com. The number was down compared to the previous episode’s 1.439 million average viewership.

Powell’s POV: Friday’s Smackdown finished with a 0.33 rating in the 18-49 demographic, up from the previous week’s 0.32 rating. Smackdown finished fourth for the night on cable television, trailing only NCAA basketball tournament coverage. One year earlier, the March 28, 2025, Smackdown averaged 1.35 million viewers and a 0.40 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.)