‘Walking Dead’ Ratings Surge In Week 2 Live + 3 Results

The blockbuster AMC series is still pulling in huge numbers as it runs through its sixth season but there is no denying that on very competitive Sundays, The Walking Dead has had a ratings bite taken out of it by the NFL and MLB playoffs these last two weeks – at least in Live + Same Day numbers. However, with 17.085 million total viewers and 11.068 million among adults in Live + 3 ratings, the second week of Season 6 of TWD is seeing near record rises, which shows what its viewership’s habits are when sports are on. TWD also easily remains the top show on TV.

Compared to its Live + SD results for the October 18 “JSS” episode, the delayed viewing numbers were up 40% in total audience and 41% in the key demo. While down 12% and 13% in the categories from what the S6 premiere drew in Live + 3 numbers, the second episode of the season was up 7% in total viewership lift and 5% in the 18-49 lift of the first week.  The all-time TWD Live + 3 rise record was for the February 15, 2015 Season 5 winter return. That episode saw lifts of 42% in total viewership and 45% in the 18-49s.

Week 2-to-Week 2, the “JSS” episode of October 18 was down 15% and 17% from the 20.113 million and 13.383 million in the demo that the October 19, 2014 second week of TWD’s fifth season got in Live + 3 ratings last year. Those numbers were a 33% and 37% rise from that “Strangers” episode’s solid Live + SD numbers, which faced the Denver Bronco’s QB Peyton Manning breaking the NFL’s touchdown record that night on Sunday Night Football.

This coming Sunday sees TWD going head-to-head with SNF, which it beat 5 of the 8 times they faced each other last season and on October 11 this year, but there’s no MLB — so….