“The Walking Dead”: Midseason Three premiere delivers 12.3 million viewers
AMC’s midseason three premiere of “The Walking Dead,” which aired at 8 p.m. last night, (Sunday, February 10) captured the series’ largest audience ever, delivering 12.3 million viewers.
The previous record was 10.9 million viewers from the third season premiere on Oct. 14, 2012, according to a news release.
The episode is also the strongest broadcast for a series in basic cable history for adults 18-49 with 7.7 million.
“The Walking Dead” third season series average for adults 18-49 delivers 6.8 million, surpassing other television series season averages including “Modern Family,” “The Big Bang Theory,” “Two and a Half Men,” and “NCIS.”
In addition to the 8 p.m. premiere, the episode encored at 10 p.m., 11 p.m. and 1 a.m., delivering 16.6 million viewers for the night.
“Talking Dead,” a companion show following “The Walking Dead” hosted by Chris Hardwick, registered 4.1 million viewers in its live airing at 9 p.m.
“When you look at numbers like this, the first thing that comes to mind is how grateful we are to the fans of this show. They embrace ‘The Walking Dead’ in a way that we wanted to believe was possible but we never take for granted,” AMC President Charlie Collier said in the news release. “The cast and crew put everything they have into making this show. They’re a phenomenally talented group who truly give their all. We congratulate everyone involved.”
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