WWE SmackDown experienced a significant decline in viewership for its August 23 episode, attracting 2.05 million viewers, a drop of 202,000 from the previous week, marking the show's lowest audience since June 14. The 18-49 demographic rating fell to 0.56, down from 0.61, making it the lowest rating in that category since late July. The decline is attributed to preemptions in several markets due to NFL preseason games and the absence of star Roman Reigns, leading to a 9% overall drop and an 8% decrease in the demo compared to last week. Despite the downturn, SmackDown remained the highest-rated show on television for the night in the 18-49 demographic. Comparatively, viewership is down 22.6% from the same week in 2023. The show is set to transition to the USA Network on September 13, following its tenure on Fox.