WWE SmackDown aired on FS1 on October 27th, and the show delivered impressive ratings for the network.
Due to the World Series, the October 27th edition of SmackDown was pre-empted from its normal home on FOX and aired on sister cable network FS1.
Roman Reigns made his presence known on the broadcast, opening the show in a contract signing with LA Knight ahead of their upcoming bout at Crown Jewel. After the two squared off on the microphone, Reigns flipped the table onto Knight, and a brawl ensued. While Reigns initially had the upper hand, he eventually had to make his escape, and when Jimmy Uso confronted Knight in the ring, he was put through the table for his trouble.
While the show didn’t earn the types of ratings it would have on its home network of FOX, it showed a marked increase from last October’s edition of the show that was pre-empted by the World Series. According to Wrestlenomics, the October 27th episode earned a total average viewership of 1.145 million viewers, a 37% increase over the October 28th, 2022 episode, which saw only 835,000 total average viewership.
In addition, the show averaged 462,000 viewers in the key 18-49 year old demographic, earning a 0.35 rating. This is a 51% increase over October 28th, 2022.
The October 20th edition of SmackDown on FOX drew an average viewership of 2.254 million people and a 0.59 rating in the key demographic.
What Else Happened On WWE SmackDown On October 27th?
Elsewhere on the show, John Cena made an appearance to hype up his match with Solo Sikoa at Crown Jewel. Paul Heyman interrupted, saying that no one can talk like Cena can. However, the good feelings didn’t last long as Heyman made it clear that if Sikoa hits Cena with the Samoan Spike at Crown Jewel, he won’t be able to speak at all. Heyman insisted that Sikoa will emerge victorious from their bout, and Sikoa attacked Cena to end the segment.
Bianca Belair also appeared on the show, vowing to get revenge over Damage CTRL for taking her out of action two months ago. Belair is set to face IYO SKY for the WWE Women’s Championship at Crown Jewel.