Sharknado 2: The Second One set a new ratings record for Syfy on Wednesday night, drawing nearly 4 million viewers in and also taking over Twitter.
The Ian Ziering-starring sequel drew 3.9 million viewers with its initial telecast and also averaged 1.6 million viewers in the advertiser-important 18-49 demographic, according to The Hollywood Reporter. The overall audience is a Syfy record for the network's original movies.
Syfy also says that there were 1 billion Twitter impressions during the premiere. The original film also dominated Twitter, if not viewers, last summer.
Sharknado 2 eclipsed the original film's 1.4 million overall audience, with more in the demo just tuning in. The first film went on to pull in a combined 9.5 million viewers through six different telecasts.
The ratings are impressive when you consider how the shark-filled film managed to outperform several programs on the four major networks on the night. Sharknado 2 easily drew more viewers than science fiction event series Extant and even the Fox competition So You Think You Can Dance.
Sharknado 2 followed Ziering and other returning star Tara Reid battling it out with sharks and mother nature in New York City. Others that appeared in the campy TV movie include Vivica A. Fox, Andy Dick and others.
image courtesy of Zelig Shaul/ACE/INFphoto.com