EA’s Weekly SmackDown Live YouTube Report (12/4/18)

A look at the YouTube performance for this week’s WWE SmackDown Live!

As we all know, social media and other outlets have become a huge means of drawing in interaction and viewers for WWE. Most people will point to television ratings like they did during the Monday Night Wars in the late 1990’s, however that can be skewed with so many various means of watching today that do not include cable television.

As you’ve become accustomed to, here is this week’s SmackDown Live YouTube Report (2:30 PM EST, 12/6/18):

1. AJ Styles crashes MizTV with Daniel Bryan – 919k views
2. Asuka, Becky Lynch & Charlotte Flair sign their TLC contract – 591k views
3. AJ Styles vs. The Miz – 525k views
4. Randy Orton vs. Jeff Hardy – 490k views
5. Charlotte Flair & Asuka vs. Mandy Rose & Sonya Deville – 420k views
6. Xavier Woods vs. Jey Uso vs. Cesaro – 327k views
7. The Miz seeks answers from Shane McMahon – 242k views

After what can’t be called anything other than a rough week in the ratings for RAW and SmackDown Live, the red brand still pulled off some strong YouTube numbers (see those here). Unfortunately for the blue brand, there’s a dip at the top with no clips reaching a million views after three accomplished it last week. At the top of the leaderboard comes our WWE Championship feud, which I personally felt was the most interesting thing advertised for the broadcast. Bryan is certainly not as hot as Becky Lynch is right now, but my feeling is that what’s new is always good and this is still fresh. We’re seeing Daniel make strides with his heel character quickly and while you would think that the TLC contract signing might have garnered more, I think this shows that segment was too predictable. Again, this is still fresh, also why the follow-up comes in at number three.

Sliding into second this week is the aforementioned Becky, along with Asuka and Charlotte Flair to sign the contract for their upcoming Tables, Ladders and Chairs Match. Keeping in mind again that views are down for everything on SmackDown Live this week, I still think these types of segments are too predictable. It went down exactly as I said it would (outside of the brawl, instead it led to a match which comes in at number five). Perhaps a lot of other people shared my sentiment:

I already know what will happen at the contract signing. Becky will use a couple dumb insults, call herself 'The Man' and they'll brawl. I'm more interested to see where this "New Daniel Bryan" is going. #UseYourHead #SDLive https://t.co/GOpHPi1Uz0

— Eric Ames (@E_Ames323) December 5, 2018

The number four spot this week goes to a rivalry revisited, as Randy Orton met Jeff Hardy. Again, you’ve got two names here and the match was good as you’d expect from these guys, but predictable. In contrast to pegging what would go down during the contract signing correctly, I knew this one would end do to some kind of a distraction. I just thought it would be Rey Mysterio and not who did pop up on the video screen, bartender Samoa Joe. I love when the company uses elements of real-life in storylines, but certainly in this day and age a lot of other people will find it to be crossing the line.

Rounding out our list in a case where nearly everything could fall under the “best of the rest” tree, I’ll reserve that specifically for numbers six and seven. Not exactly a fair assessment based on the overall picture and lack of competition for the last positions. More of a given that a Triple Threat Match or match of any kind would beat out two backstage segments for sixth. Then for seventh, I’ll take The Miz and Shane McMahon in a segment over a Rusev backstage interview and general video package any day.

What do this week’s YouTube results for SmackDown Live tell you? Let us know on social media @theCHAIRSHOTcom and always remember to use the hashtag #UseYourHead!