The following is from WWE.com:
This past Friday, as the WWE Universe stood witness to both Edge and Triple H returning from No Way Out with World Championships in their possession, SmackDown ran the gauntlet among male viewers young and old, increasing its overall audience with a 2.2 U.S. household rating.
On a night that saw Matt Hardy interrupting the main event match to deliver a Twist of Fate on his own brother Jeff, SmackDown continued its domination of Friday nights, reigning as the most-watched program among men under 55. It was watched by more men ages 25-54 than any show on NBC including Dateline, and was the most-viewed program on broadcast TV among men ages 18-34 and kids 12-17. Moreover, SmackDown delivered its largest male audience ages 6-11 since premiering on MyNetworkTV, setting an all-time record for a single telecast on the network.
And like the destruction Umaga unleashed on yet another opponent this past week, SmackDown continues to annihilate the competition. During the show that followed along with the World Tag Team Champions as they took The Bella Twins out for a Valentine’s Day feast, more people were watching than all programs on The CW, Fox News Channel, ESPN, Nickelodeon – including “Nick at Nite” – Cartoon Network – including “Adult Swim” – A&E, TNT, TBS, CNN, Spike TV, Lifetime, MTV and VH1. Furthermore, more people watched SmackDown Friday night than The CW’s Everybody Hates Chris and The Game combined.
Additionally, more men watched SmackDown on Friday night than any program on FOX, NBC, The CW, or ESPN, and more men over 18 watched SmackDown than either of the two NBA games on ESPN.
SmackDown has truly taken Friday nights by storm, setting itself apart as a must-see entertainment sensation for all ages. And as the Road to the 25th Anniversary of WrestleMania picks up speed, the excitement promises to only get bigger.