DeMarco’s WWE Smackdown YouTube Ratings Analysis (1/29/19)

A look at the YouTube performance for the January 29th edition of WWE Smackdown!

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 YouTube Report, compiled approximately 48 hours after Smackdown went off the air:

• Daniel Bryan introduces new Championship – 1.01 Million views
• R-Truth vs. Shinsuke Nakamura – 975k views
• Triple H announced WWE Championship Elimination Chamber Match – 934k views
• R-Truth vs. Rusev – 834k views
• Charlotte Flair attacks Becky Lynch’s injured knee – 785k views
• Mandy Rose explains her motivation – 450k views
• The Miz shares emotional moment with Daddy Miz – 354k views
• Luke Gallows & Karl Anderson confront Rusev & Shinsuke Nakamura – 334k views
• Tag Team Elimination Match – 304k views
• Andrade & Zelina Vega execute attack on Rey Mysterio – 283k views
• Becky Lynch refuses medical attention – 218k views

Ratings Analysis

Fans are supremely invested in The New Daniel Bryan, as the unveiling of his new championship was the only video to top 1 million views for Smackdown this week. Daniel Bryan also came in at #3 with 975k views for the announcement of his Elimination Chamber Match. A year ago we didn’t think he’d be wrestling, now he’s the top star on Smackdown!

Talk about a big winner though, it’s R-Truth. His two quick victories over Shinsuke Nakamura and Rusev came in second and fourth, respectively. They also combined for over 1.8 million views on YouTube! It’s a testament to his natural likeability, and his dedication to his craft at 47 years young. R-Truth gets it, and people get him.

The Becky Lynch and Charlotte Flair saga came in a surprising fifth this week, proving the value of Ronda Rousey on Raw. It’s still over 300k views above #6 (focused on Mandy Rose—why isn’t this #1???), and solidifies the Top 5.

Facts and Figures

• Big Winner – Daniel Bryan 1.935 Million views between two videos)
• Only 1 video at or over 1 million views
• Total views – 6.5 million
• The top video represented 16% of the total views
• The 18 videos associated with Smackdown averaged 590k views
• There was 792k view difference between #1 and #11
• The top 3 videos accounted for 45% of the total views

The most underrated video of the week actually came in at #2! How is that underrated? Because it should have been #1, that’s how!

What did the YouTube results for this Smackdown tell you?