AMC

AMC’s The Walking Dead is the Most Watched Drama Series Among Adults 18-49 in Basic Cable History

SUNDAY FINALE ATTRACTS 4 MILLION ADULTS 18-49;
GARNERS A 4.1 HH RATING WITH 6 MILLION TOTAL VIEWERS

New York, NY – December 6, 2010 – Sunday night’s finale of AMC’s "The Walking Dead" attracted four million viewers in the Adult 18-49 demo. With a series average of 3.5 million Adults 18-49, "The Walking Dead" is the most watched drama series in basic cable history for the demo.* The finale was the most-watched episode of the season, garnering a 4.1 HH rating and attracting six million total viewers. The final episode ranks first for Adults 18-49 delivery among basic cable for a drama series.

*Source: NMR (1993-12/05/2010), Adults 18-49, program indicator general drama, ad supported cable networks.

Key Ratings Highlights for the finale of The Walking Dead:

  • 10pm airing – 4.1 HH rating with more than 6 million total viewers;
  • 10 pm, 11:00 pm and 1am airings – Gross audience to a 5.7 HH rating with 8.1 million total viewers;
  • Adults 18-49 – 4 million viewers;
  • Adults 25-54 – 3.5 million viewers.

Recently greenlit for a second season, "The Walking Dead" is AMC’s first wholly-owned production. Following its debut on AMC on Sunday, October 31, the series premiered globally in 120 countries and in 33 languages, through an unprecedented partnership between AMC and Fox International Channels. Following record breaking ratings for the international premiere, "The Walking Dead" has continued to deliver stellar ratings on Pay TV in all Fox International Channels’ markets, including the UK, Germany, Spain, Portugal, Mexico, Brazil and Argentina.

"The Walking Dead" is based on the comic book series written by Robert Kirkman and published by Image Comics. The series tells the story of the months and years that follow after a zombie apocalypse. It follows a group of survivors, led by police officer Rick Grimes, who travel in search of a safe and secure home. The comic goes on to explore the challenges of life in a world overrun by zombies who take a toll on the survivors, and sometimes the interpersonal conflicts present a greater danger to their continuing survival than the zombies that roam the country. Over time, the characters are changed by the constant exposure to death and some grow willing to do anything to survive.

"The Walking Dead" received rave reviews from countless critics, who heralded the series as "the best new show on TV" (Entertainment Weekly), "visually stunning…and daring in its artful use of silence" (TV Guide), "…breathtaking in its small moments, in which the pain and glory of being human are conveyed with only the flick of a filmmaking wrist." (Wall Street Journal), "…evocative, suspenseful" (Boston Globe) "…surprisingly scary and remarkably good" (The New York Times) "…a triumph of tone and mood" (Contra Costa Times) and "a real achievement for a horror show on a basic-cable network" (Rolling Stone). In addition, "The Walking Dead" received "4 Stars" from People and "3 Stars" from the New York Daily News and New York Post, among other outlets.

"The Walking Dead" premiered on Sunday, October 31st as part of AMC FEARFEST, the highly anticipated horror movie marathon of the Halloween season.

About AMC
AMC reigns as the only cable network in history to ever win the Emmy® Award for Outstanding Drama Series three years in a row, as well as the Golden Globe® Award for Best Television Series – Drama for three consecutive years. Whether commemorating favorite films from every genre and decade or creating acclaimed original programming, the AMC experience is an uncompromising celebration of great stories. AMC’s original stories include the Emmy® Award-winning dramas Mad Men and Breaking Bad, and entertaining non-scripted programming such as AMC News. AMC further demonstrates its commitment to the art of storytelling with curated movie franchises like AMC Hollywood Icon and AMC Complete Collection. Available in more than 96 million homes (Source: Nielsen Media Research), AMC is a subsidiary of Rainbow Media Holdings LLC, which includes sister networks IFC, Sundance Channel, WE tv and Wedding Central. AMC is available across all platforms, including on-air, online, on demand and mobile. AMC: Story Matters HereSM.

Press Contacts

  • Olivia Dupuis
    ojdupuis@amctv.com
    212.324.4748

    Lisa Rogen
    AMC
    L1Rogen@rainbow-media.com
    917.542.6216