Even in the afterlife, Hulk Hogan is still a draw, brother.
According to Programming Insider, Friday’s episode of WWE SmackDown on the USA Network drew 1.707 million viewers, making it the most-watched episode of the weekly show since the night before WrestleMania 41 on April 18. Meanwhile, this past Friday’s episode also garnered a 0.48 rating in the 18-49 demographic, good for the show’s best rating in the key demo since April 25 while also making it television’s top-rated show for the night.
Why did WWE draw such a big number on a relatively random edition of SmackDown in July? It isn’t difficult to connect the dots.
After all, Friday’s episode came just one day after Hulk Hogan passed away at the age of 71. While he undoubtedly left behind a complicated legacy outside the ring, Hogan — whose real name was Terry Bollea — was also one of the biggest stars in professional wrestling history and one of the key figures who helped elevate the industry to national recognition and mainstream appeal.
As for Friday’s tribute, the show opened with the entire SmackDown roster and some of Hogan’s close friends and former rivals flanking WWE chief content officer Paul “Triple H” Levesque (who Hogan beat for his final WWE championship title reign) for a 10-bell salute and video montage. The episode also included multiple highlights from Hogan’s career, as well as a brief speech from current WWE superstar Cody Rhodes, who alluded to the complex nature of his legacy.
“Yesterday, WWE and pro wrestling lost one of its giants in Hulk Hogan. And I know emotions and feelings regarding it are complicated,” Rhodes said. “But what is not complicated is his accomplishments and his contributions to WWE, to sports entertainment, to pro wrestling, to entertainment as a whole. They are staggering and they are indisputable. So as someone who gets to stand here and say that I’m a WWE superstar, he was the original. And I just want to take a moment to say thank you, Hulk Hogan.”
Meanwhile, Monday’s episode of WWE Raw opened with a similar tribute, with Hogan’s son, Nick Hogan, and longtime friend and business partner, Eric Bischoff, present. Don’t however, expect to hear about a similar ratings effect, as Raw airs on Netflix and isn’t measured by the Nielsen system on a weekly basis.
About Ben Axelrod
Ben Axelrod is a veteran of the sports media landscape, having most recently worked for NBC's Cleveland affiliate, WKYC. Prior to his time in Cleveland, he covered Ohio State football and the Big Ten for outlets including Cox Media Group, Bleacher Report, Scout and Rivals.