'Smackdown' debut boosts Syfy

Bringing wrestling to Syfy gave the network a solid number on Friday night.

"WWE Smackdown" delivered 2.5 million viewers, roughly what a successful scripted series (such as "Battlestar Galatica" in its prime) draws on the evening. The two-hour block gave Syfy its most-watched 8-10 p.m. on a Friday evening in two years.

With its switch the cable, the WWE franchise isn't drawing the numbers it used to, though. The Syfy debut was considerably less than "Smackdown" on MyNetworkTV, where it drew more than 3 million viewers per week, and a lot less than on The CW, where it averaged more than 4 million per week.