The midseason return of the zombie apocalypse blockbuster on Valentine’s Day turned out to be a Silver medal love letter for AMC in delayed viewing results. With 19.1 million total viewers in Live + 3 ratings and 12.1 million among adults 18-49, The Walking Dead had its best numbers since its Season 6 debut on October 11 last year.
In Live + 3 results, TWD’s Season 6 premiere last fall drew 19.5 million viewers with a strong 12.84 million among adults 18-49. Compared to the Live + Same Day ratings of the S6 midseason return. TWD is up 39% in viewership and 41% in the key 18-49 demo. That’s up 6% in both categories from how the S6 premiere rose in its L+3 results.
TWD’s previous second best Season 6 L+3 viewership was the November 29 winter finale’s audience of 18.3 million. That was a rise of 33% over the winter finale’s L+SD viewership results with a 36% jump in the demo to 11.8 million.
Facing the Grammys this year, the return of Better Call Saul on February 15 for a second season didn’t have the luxury of a TWD lead-in like its Season 1 Sunday opener did. However, in delayed viewing the Vince Gilligan and Peter Gould created series had very impressive growth. With 2.7 million among the 18-49s, BCS was up 98% in L+3 results. That’s a 22% increase over how the February 10 Monday debut of Season 1 of the Bob Odenkirk starrer did in the demo in L+3 ratings. The S2 debut of BCS surged 83% in total viewers in L+3 to 4.7 million.
The Season 2 BCS opener was down 19% from its Season 1 Monday debut in total L+3 viewers and dropped 25% in the demo in delayed viewing.
In numbers that would leave many on the Big 4 jealous, TWD aftershow Talking Dead rose 17% in both L+3 viewers and the 18-49s to 7.5 million and 4.6 million. That’s the best the Chris Hardwick hosted show has done all season.
