Pre-taped WWE SmackDown viewership was ‘way down’

Ahead of Labor Day weekend, WWE pre-taped episodes of SmackDown and RAW to give Superstars time off for the holiday, but the viewership might have suffered.

Longtime wrestling pundit Dave Meltzer reported that the Aug. 28, 2026, pre-taped edition of SmackDown garnered 1.12 million viewers and 0.23 in the 18-49 demographic. The 18-49 demographic is “way down from usual,” and Meltzer said it was “also way down overseas on Netflix” (SmackDown airs on USA Network in the United States).

Hopefully, things turn around during the Sep. 4 episode of SmackDown, which was also pre-taped. WWE will be back to normal starting with Sunday Night’s Main Event on Sep 6.

WWE’s upcoming schedule after pre-taped episodes

Sunday Night’s Main Event will air live from State Farm Arena in Atlanta, Georgia. The following night, RAW will emanate from Birmingham, Alabama, and will then embark on its tours of South America and Mexico.

The Sep. 11 and Sep. 14 editions of SmackDown and RAW will be held in Mexico City, Mexico. Roman Reigns will defend the World Heavyweight Championship against Penta, the winner of a Lucha Libre AAA Worldwide tournament, during the episode of RAW in Mexico City.

WWE will be back in the United States on Sep. 18 for SmackDown. The show will broadcast from Corpus Christi, Texas. The next PLE, Money in the Bank, will take place on Oct. 10 in New Orleans, Louisiana.

It will be a busy end of the year for the company. After Money in the Bank, there are three more PLEs slated for the rest of the year. Crown Jewel will take place in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on Nov. 7; Survivor Series: WarGames will take place in Houston, Texas, on Nov. 28; and Wrestelpalooza returns for a second year and will emanate from Perth, Australia, on Dec. 12.

Additionally, NXT will hold Halloween Havoc on Oct. 31. There will also be two AAA events — Triplemania 34 on Sep. 11 and 13 and Worlds Collide on Sep. 26.

The post Pre-taped WWE SmackDown viewership was ‘way down’ appeared first on ClutchPoints.