WWE Smackdown: 5/29/2020 YouTube Viewership Report

Greg DeMarco’s look at the WWE Smackdown YouTube viewership for the May 29th 2020 broadcast!

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 such, YouTube has joined social media as a metric as important to WWE as television ratings (if not more). The weekly WWE Smackdown YouTube Performance Report is a look into that success metric.

As you’ve become accustomed to, here is this week’s WWE Smackdown YouTube Performance Report, compiled Sunday (about 48+ hours after Raw went off the air), for the 5/29/2020 edition of WWE Smackdown:

• Jeff Hardy accident scene and arrest – 1.278 million views
• Alexa Bliss vs. Sasha Banks – 824k views
• “Fast Times” promo with Mandy Rose and Otis – 823k views
• Daniel Bryan vs. Sheamus – 659k views
• Lacey Evans vs. Sonya Deville – 553k views
• Bayley & Sasha Banks interrupt Alexa Bliss, Nikki Cross, and The New Day – 513k views
• Battle Royal for spot in the Intercontinental Championship Tournament – 460k views
• Kurt Angle introduces Matt Riddle – 425k views
• AJ Styles & Daniel Bryan lead debate with Adam Pearce – 327k views
• Shorty G vs. Cesaro – 234k views
• Forgotten Sons promo – 58k views

WWE Smackdown YouTube Viewership – Greg’s Nerd Numbers

• 5/29/2020 edition of Smackdown: 6.154 million views spread over 11 videos
• 5/29/2020 average: 559k views
• 5/29/2020 Top 5: 4.137 million views, 67% of the total views
  • The #1 video, at 1.278 million views, accounted for 13% of the total views

WWE Smackdown YouTube Viewership – Greg’s Nerd Analysis

This week shows an increase over three weeks ago, my last time analyzing these numbers. This week’s Smackdown was led by the Jeff Hardy saga, a controversial opening to the show that polarized fans online. Did it go too far? Are fans not ready for realism with their wrestling? Time will tell, but one thing we can say is that it did draw eyeballs.

The #2 and #3 videos are my most pleasant surprise of the week. Alexa Bliss vs. Sasha Banks came in at #2, with a solid 800k+ views. Sasha Banks (in sweatpants and tennis shoes) pulled off the win, furthering the storyline for the WWE Women’s Tag Team Championships. Right behind them, also at 800k+ (and just 1000 views less than #2) is the latest video for Mandy Rose and Otis, proving that people really do care about this unlikely couple.

Overall, the women’s division was responsible for 40% of the Top 5 half of the Top 6, thanks to Sonya Deville and Lacey Evans’ double countout coming at #5 with over half of a million views, followed by A Moment Of Bliss at #6.

Matt Riddle’s first/re-introduction to the non-NXT world should be considered a success. Don’t think #8 and 425k views is a success? Compare that to the Forgotten Sons and their abysmal 58k views for what I’d call a really bad promo at best. When Wesley Blake is “the talker” of the group, you’re already water-logged and too damaged to work. Get this trio a manager, and fast.

What do these numbers tell you about Friday’s Smackdown?

Greg DeMarco is a life-long wrestling fan who has been providing analysis and perspective online since 2010. He’s also worked for various wrestling promotions including the NWA and Ring Of Honor, and currently promotes IZW Wrestling in Arizona.

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