:format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/53044913/055_SD_01312017ej_0597__bf2a1d574fa4135e7f415788ed66dd4f.0.jpg)
Good thing about the brand split... WWE gets twice as many “fallout” shows after big pay-per-view (PPV) events like Royal Rumble!
It paid off this week, with SmackDown seeing the same kind of viewership spike Raw received the night before coming out of a “Big 4” PPV. The Jan. 31 episode, which featured John Cena doing his “the champ is here” thing after winning his 16th WWE title on Sunday in San Antonio and the next steps in the Wyatt Family story after Randy Orton won his second Rumble, drew 2.82 million viewers. That’s not only up from Jan. 24’s 2.56 million, but it was the biggest audience of the young year.
While that was only the ninth biggest audience on cable television, WWE did win the night with the 18 - 49 demographic with a 1.02 rating.
Team blue will try to hold those viewers next week with a Cena vs. Orton match on a show that will also be the final push for the brand’s next PPV, Feb. 12’s Elimination Chamber.
For complete results and the live blog for SmackDown this week click here. To read a complete recap & review of all the night’s events click here. For a full playlist of the show click here.