Tony Khan’s AEW dynamite outperforms SmackDown in viewership despite John Cena’s emotional message

Television ratings and the number of viewers play a crucial role in determining the success of a TV show. This also applies to professional wrestling, where WWE Friday Night SmackDown did not air a live episode this week. Instead, they wrapped up the year with a special episode called “Best of 2023.”

However, what has surprised everyone is that AEW Dynamite had a better rating than WWE’s blue brand last week. This hasn’t happened for almost a month, and people are going crazy about it on the internet.

SmackDown falls short against AEW Dynamite

WWE and Tony Khan’s AEW are two major wrestling promotions that are currently in competition. However, an unexpected turn of events occurred when AEW overtook WWE in the same week. Although both shows aired on different days, WWE’s ratings were surprisingly low.

According to Programming Insider’s reports, this week’s episode of Friday Night SmackDown, titled “The Absolute Best of 2023,” had the lowest viewership numbers in its history since it started airing on Fox. The average number of preliminary viewers was around 1.32 million, which is almost 690,000 less compared to last week’s episode. The ratings for the key age group, which ranges from 18 to 49, were between 0.55 and 0.48.

On the other hand, AEW Dynamite, the weekly show of WWE’s top competitor, experienced a boost in viewership this week. The average number of viewers for this week’s episode was 843,000, a significant increase from last week’s viewership of 782,000.

Although the viewership numbers are lower than those of SmackDown, the increase in viewership is a positive sign for AEW. Additionally, the rating for the key demographic of viewers aged 18 to 49 years old increased from 0.26 last week to 0.31 this week.

John Cena delivers emotional message on final SmackDown of 2023

WWE wrestler John Cena made an appearance on the latest episode of Friday Night SmackDown via video clip. This is the first time he has been seen since the Crown Jewel 2023 event. During his appearance, Cena spoke emotionally about his future with the company.

In October 2023, the leader of the Cenation made his in-ring return on television during Fastlane, where he teamed up with LA Knight to face The Bloodline’s Jimmy Uso and Solo Sikoa in a tag team match, which they won. Later, he had a singles match against Solo Sikoa at Crown Jewel 2023 in Saudi Arabia but unfortunately lost the bout.

During the latest special episode of Friday Night SmackDown, John Cena acknowledged the fans’ generosity and said he wasn’t sure how much longer he would be with WWE.

“As you know, I was able to return to SmackDown in the fall, and the reception and the respect, I will never forget. I do not know how much time in WWE I have left. But I do know that in recent times when I’ve been able to return home, you have always welcomed me as one of your own. I am forever indebted to your generosity, your empathy, your respect, and your excitement,” said John Cena.

What are your thoughts on the recent decrease in viewership for WWE SmackDown? Share your opinions in the comment section below!