WWE SmackDown (December 1 episode) draws shocking ratings

Last week's SmackDown was stacked with a number of top names making an appearance, most notably Randy Orton, who signed with the brand, and RKOd general manager Nick Aldis to close the show. However, despite an eventful episode, SmackDown drew its lowest rating on Fox since August 2022.

While SmackDown has drawn lower ratings on FS1 in the past, their track record on Fox has been pretty solid. Drawing 2.044 million viewers on Friday night, as per Brandon Thurston of Wrestlenomics, WWE SmackDown has hit a low on Fox for the first time in over a year. Moreover, SmackDown drew 0.59 in the 18-49 target demographic, which is the lowest since the November 10 episode.

With two major returns at Survivor Series, WWE's roster is currently stacked

While SmackDown may have seen an unexpected dip in ratings last week, it is likely that the ratings for both shows will go up in the coming weeks following the events that transpired at Survivor Series. During the final Big Four PLE of the year, Randy Orton made his announced return as expected and has now signed with SmackDown. It seems that the Viper is going after Roman Reigns' Undisputed WWE Universal Championship. The feud is likely going to result in a ratings boost.

However, the Legend Killer wasn't the only one who made his return to a thunderous ovation that night. Just as the show was about to go off the air, Living Color's Cult of Personality hit, eliciting a loud roar from the crowd as the fans welcomed CM Punk back to WWE.

At the moment, Punk is internally listed as a free agent, and following his promo on RAW last week, the Second City Saint is set to make an appearance on SmackDown this Friday. However, it seems that he's about to enter a feud with Seth Rollins following the recent developments in the storyline.

Do you think we'll see a significant ratings increase for WWE programming in the coming weeks? Was the dip in SmackDown ratings unexpected for you? Share your thoughts in the comments section below.