‘Sharknado’ ratings can’t top ‘Chupacabra,’ but social stats soar

If you spent any time on Twitter on Thursday (July 11) chances are pretty good that you heard about Syfy’s original movie “Sharknado” and there’s ever a reasonable possibility that you watched a bit of it. 
If you had better things to do than tweeting your Thursday away, however, it appears that you may not have noticed the prominent CG dorsal fin on the horizon.
The numbers are in for “Sharknado” and although social engagement set Syfy records and dominated the night, ratings weren’t nearly so healthy.
Overall, “Sharknado” drew 1.37 million viewers in its Thursday 9 p.m. airing. If you like handy comparisons like I like handy comparisons, that’s up from last month’s “Independence Day-Saster,” which drew 1.26 million viewers, but down from March’s “Chupacabra vs. the Alamo,” which didn’t produce anywhere near the same Twitter onslaught, but averaged 1.49 million viewers.
Digging a bit deeper, “Sharknado” drew 566,000 viewers among adults 18-49, up by 29 percent on Syfy’s 2013 movie average. The film averaged 617,000 viewers in the 25-54 demo and 209,000 in the 18-34 demo. 
The median age for “Sharknado” viewers was 46.8, making it the youngest skewing Syfy original since “Zombie Apocalypse” in October 2011.
So basically you’re looking at an audience that’s more than twice what watched The CW’s “Beauty and the Beast” repeat, but closer to a third the audience for ABC’s “Motive.”
For the last time a Syfy original movie generated anywhere near comparable social media buzz, you may have to go back to 2010’s “Sharktopus,” which drew 2.5 million viewers, including 882,000 among adults 18-49. Sticking with the shark theme, 2011’s “Swamp Shark” drew over 2.2 million viewers, including over 770,000 in the 18-49 demo. The Debbie Gibson versus Tiffany showdown “Mega Python vs Gatoroid” drew 2.35 million viewers including 737,000 in the 18-49 demo. And, because one reader requested it, it should be noted that 2012’s “Piranhaconda” drew 1.76 million viewers.
Syfy, however, is still touting the social media traction for “Sharknado,” which stars Ian Ziering and Tara Reid. The movie was Thursday’s “most social program” on broadcast or cable and drew 387K social mentions, coming within 2.5K of the “Game of Thrones” Red Wedding Episode.
“Sharknado” will get an encore airing on Thursday, July 18 at 7 p.m. ET.
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