'The Walking Dead' Season 5 Premiere Hits Series High Ratings, Delivering 11 Million Adults 18-49 & 17.3 Million Viewers
via press release:
AMCS The Walking Dead RETURNS WITH HIGHEST-RATED EPISODE IN SERIES HISTORY
SUNDAYS SEASON FIVE PREMIERE DRAWS
17.3 MILLION TOTAL VIEWERS AND 11.0 MILLION ADULTS 18-49
TALKING DEAD AFTERSHOW ALSO DELIVERS 6.9 MILLION VIEWERS AND 4.5 MILLION ADULTS 18-49
New York, NY October 13, 2014 The season five premiere of AMCs The Walking Dead delivered the highest ratings in series history. The episode was watched by 17.3 million viewers and 11 million adults aged 18-49, increases of 7% and 6%, respectively, over the season four premiere, the previous record-holder. The Walking Dead continues to be the #1 show on television among adults 18-49. Last nights episode outperformed everything else on television in this key demographic, including Sunday Night Football, by over 2.5 million adults 18-49. With time-shifted playback, the season five premiere should exceed 22 million viewers.
Its a Dead mans party. Who could ask for more? said Charlie Collier, AMC president. Enormous thanks to our friends and executive producers Robert Kirkman, Scott Gimple, Greg Nicotero who also directed last nights terrific premiere Gale Anne Hurd, Dave Alpert and Tom Luse and all of their fellow producers, cast and crew for everything they do to make the #1 show on television such a unique and incredible experience for the fans. The Walking Dead is one of those increasingly rare shows today that can command a live audience not significantly cannibalized by time-shifted viewing. Who would have thought that cannibalized television could be curtailed by cannibal-ized television?