This week's WWE SmackDown episode, featuring The New Day winning a Tag Team Gauntlet main event to earn Kofi Kingston's WWE Title shot at WrestleMania 35, drew 2.393 million viewers. This is up 8.4% from last week's 2.208 million viewers.

This is the best SmackDown viewership of 2019. This is also the best SmackDown viewership going back to the SmackDown 1000 episode on October 16, which drew 2.545 million viewers. The last regular SmackDown episode that drew better was the post-SummerSlam 2018 episode on August 21, which drew 2.437 million viewers.

SmackDown had AJ Styles vs. WWE Hall of Famer Kurt Angle, fallout from Kofi Kingston getting "screwed again" by Vince McMahon and more WrestleMania 35 build advertised ahead of time.

SmackDown was #7 for the night in viewership on cable, for the third week in a row, behind Hannity, Tucker Carlson Tonight, Curse of Oak Island, The Five, The Ingraham Angle and Special Report. SmackDown was #2 in the 18-49 demographic this week, behind Curse of Oak Island. Curse of Oak Island topped the night on the Cable Top 150 in the 18-49 demographic with 3.498 million viewers. Hannity topped the night in viewership with 3.571 million viewers.

The big draw on network TV at 8pm was NCIS on CBS, which drew 12.181 million viewers.

In comparison, Monday's WWE RAW drew 2.589 million viewers, down from last week's 2.695 million viewers, and the 5th lowest audience of the year. It only topped SmackDown's audience by 8%, which is one of the smaller margins in awhile.

Below is our 2019 SmackDown Viewership Tracker:

January 1 Episode: 2.091 million viewers (New Year's episode, taped)

January 8 Episode: 2.032 million viewers

January 15 Episode: 2.143 million viewers

January 22 Episode: 2.142 million viewers

January 29 Episode: 2.137 million viewers (post-Royal Rumble episode)

February 5 Episode: 1.841 million viewers (State of the Union competition)

February 12 Episode: 2.034 million viewers

February 19 Episode: 2.269 million viewers (post-Elimination Chamber episode)

February 26 Episode: 2.150 million viewers

March 5 Episode: 2.155 million viewers

March 12 Episode: 2.198 million viewers (post-Fastlane episode)

March 19 Episode: 2.208 million viewers

March 26 Episode: 2.393 million viewers

April 2 Episode:

2018 Total: 122.304 million viewers

2018 Average: 2.352 million viewers per episode

2017 Total: 132.401 million viewers

2017 Average: 2.546 million viewers per episode

Source: ShowBuzz Daily