The show that averages 3.1 million viewers on Friday nights and beats all Friday primetime viewing on any cable network is moving to THURSDAY NIGHTS on Syfy beginning tonight at 8/7 CT. With nearly 800 original episodes, SmackDown is the second longest-running weekly episodic program in U.S. television history, only behind WWE’s other flagship program, Monday Night Raw.

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The very first Thursday night show will include the return to action of former WWE World Heavyweight Champion Daniel Bryan, against the Superstar responsible for putting Bryan on the shelf for eight months, Kane! It will also feature an Intercontinental Championship Match, pitting Bad News Barrett against his high-flying No. 1 contender Sin Cara and so much more!

"WWE’s sizable and passionate fan base make SmackDown the No. 1 entertainment show on Syfy and the most-watched, regularly scheduled program among key demographics on the network," said Michelle Wilson, WWE Chief Revenue and Marketing Officer. "We look forward to bringing the WWE audience to Thursday nights on Syfy."

"Quite simply, more young men watch television on Thursday night than on Fridays,” said Michael Engleman, Executive Vice President, Marketing, Digital and Global Brand Strategy, Syfy. “Among Men 18-49, PUTS [persons using television] are 15 percent higher compared to Fridays, expanding the potential audience for SmackDown. Since the majority of broadcast programming skews female, we're also using Thursday nights to counter-program."

Watch SmackDown's most monumental moments

With a name made famous 15 years ago by Dwayne “ The Rock” Johnson’s popular catchphrase, SmackDown has been broadcast from 170 different venues, in 148 cities and towns, in seven different countries including the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Iraq, Japan, Italy and Mexico.