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The final TV ratings for 2021 are in for AEW Rampage and WWE SmackDown and, despite a downswing for both shows, Rampage picked up the victory over SmackDown according to Showbuzz Daily.
The "New Year's Smash" edition of AEW Rampage was jam-packed. A brutal street fight between the teams of Anna Jay & Tay Conti and Penelope Ford & The Bunny was followed by a TNT Championship match between Cody Rhodes and Ethan Page.
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The episode drew a total audience of 453,000 viewers and a 0.19 number in the key demographic. While viewership dropped by 136,000 viewers from the "Holiday Bash" edition of the show, it was enough to beat WWE SmackDown.
WWE SmackDown opted to air a "Top 10 moments of 2021" on FOX's sister channel Fox Sports 1, rather than a New Year's Eve edition of the show. The highlight show drew a final 378,000 viewers and a 0.08 number in the key demographic.
This marks only the second time that an episode of AEW Rampage has defeated a portion of SmackDown. The first occasion was back in October 2021, when Rampage scored an upset victory against WWE's blue brand during a thirty-minute viewership clash between the two shows.
AEW Rampage will be looking to bounce back this Friday
Tony Khan's Friday night broadcast will be hoping to bounce back in the first week of 2022.
The first AEW Rampage of 2022 will be held at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey. At the time of writing, the only match confirmed for the episode is a trios no disqualification, no count-out match between the team of Eddie Kingston, Santana and Ortiz taking on Daniel Garcia and 2point0.
WWE SmackDown will return to FOX on Friday January 7th as they go live from the Mohegan Sun in Uncasville, Connecticut. No matches have been confirmed, however both companies will be ready for war on Friday nights.
