Friday Ratings: WWE Maintains Its Hold On The Top Slot, But CBS Wins The Network Battle

Bruce Haring

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Wrestling’s stranglehold on the Friday ratings continues, as Fox’s two-hour WWE Friday Night SmackDown again topped the demo wars on the evening.

On the final SmackDown before Sunday’s Royal Rumble, Universal Champion “The Fiend” Bray Wyatt turned his Strap Match Contract Signing with Daniel Bryan into chaos. Plus, SmackDown Women’s Champion Bayley brawled with Lacey Evans in yet another drama-filled moment. It all amounted to an 0.7 and 2.47 million total audience for the slot, down a tick from last week’s 0.8.

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CBS, though losing the individual show battle, won the overall network match even though it had a night of reruns for its cop drama lineup of Hawaii Five-0, Magnum P.I. and Blue Bloods.

At ABC, American Housewife (0.6) and Fresh Off The Boat (0.5) both ticked up a tenth, while 20/20 was unopposed in the newsmag battles and.also was up a tenth to 0.6.

NBC had the US Figure Skating Championships running from 8-11 PM. The graceful skaters managed an 0.3 and 2.39 audience.

At The CW, Charmed had an 0.2 and 610,000 audience, with Dynasty an 0.1 and 350,000 total viewership. Both held their numbers from the previous week.

 

 

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