Amid the ongoing wave of pay-TV consolidation, AMC Networks has been widely viewed, at least in zombie apocalypse terms, as a lone survivor that badly needs to merge with a larger, more fortified group of programmers.
But the audience drawing power of its assets can't be denied. Sunday night's fifth-season premiere of The Walking Dead broke the show's own record as the most-watched cable drama ever, garnering an audience of 17.3 million viewers. The previous record of 16.1 million viewers was set during the show's fourth season.
The 9 p.m. Walking Dead telecast even bowled over NFL Sunday Night Football by nearly 2.5 million viewers in the adults 18-49 demographic, scoring an audience of 11 million in the demo.
The show's recap extension, Talking Dead, also hit its high-water mark with 6.9 million viewers.
AMC, which is getting set to wind down its other tentpole series, Mad Men, is in the process of developing a Walking Dead spinoff.
For more:
- read this New York Times story
- read this Deadline Hollywood story
Related links:
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