WWE SmackDown on March 27, 2026, kept the road to WrestleMania 42 alive with big moments in several matches. The show delivered title drama and continued main-story feuds, even as overall TV viewers dipped from the previous week.
Ratings and Viewership
Last Friday’s SmackDown averaged 1.30 million viewers. That is down from 1.43 million the week before, a 9 percent decline. The number is also about 4 percent lower than the recent four-week average. Over the past few weeks, SmackDown viewership has bounced between roughly 1.2 million and 1.4 million viewers.
The important 18-49 TV rating rose slightly, from 0.32 to 0.33. That figure sits above the four-week average. In the key 18-49 demo on cable for the night, SmackDown finished fourth, with the top spots taken by NCAA basketball.
Matches and Results
The show continued the long-running storyline around Cody Rhodes and Randy Orton. Orton again targeted Matt Cardona and beat him in the main event. After the match, Rhodes came out to help Cardona, keeping their feud in focus as WrestleMania approaches.
There were other notable results. The Bellas scored a win over Charlotte Flair and Alexa Bliss in a tag match. Jelly Roll won his first ever singles match, defeating Kit Wilson. The biggest change saw Sami Zayn defeat Carmelo Hayes to win the WWE United States Championship for the second time in his career. Rhea Ripley and Jade Cargill continued to build their rivalry ahead of their WrestleMania meeting.
What This Means Going Into WrestleMania
The show kept momentum on the main storylines despite the small drop in viewers. The slight uptick in the 18-49 rating is a positive sign for advertisers and for WWE’s key audience. Title changes and wrestling firsts, like Jelly Roll’s singles win and Sami Zayn regaining the U.S. title, give the card freshness as the company heads toward WrestleMania 42.
SmackDown faces strong competition on TV nights with college basketball in the mix. The ratings show the brand still has steady interest but also that some fluctuation is likely in the run-up to the big show.
| Fighter | Recent Result |
|---|---|
| Randy Orton | Defeated Matt Cardona (main event) |
| Matt Cardona | Lost to Randy Orton |
| The Bellas (Nikki & Brie) | Defeated Charlotte Flair & Alexa Bliss |
| Jelly Roll | Defeated Kit Wilson (first singles win) |
| Sami Zayn | Defeated Carmelo Hayes — won U.S. Championship (second reign) |
| Rhea Ripley & Jade Cargill | Rivalry continued ahead of WrestleMania |
SmackDown’s March 27 episode set more pieces in place for WrestleMania 42. Fans can expect those storylines and title scenes to move forward in the final build to the big event.
