Before I go into this, the decline in The Walking Dead premiere numbers is all relative. While it may be down, it’s still generating numbers that any show (network or cable) would love to have.
The Season 8 premiere of the zombie apocalypse series snagged 11.4 million total viewers and 6.5 million adults 18-49 for a 5.0 rating. That’s down 40% in the demo and 33% in total audience from the season 7 opener on October 23, 2016. When some straggler adjustments are made, the Season 7 debut is virtually even with TWD’s Season 5 opener for an all-time season high.
Overall, with a slight 5% uptick in viewers and 1% in the key demo over the latter part of Season 7 averages, the Season 8 premiere is the show’s fourth-best debut yet. Eight seasons in, TWD can still hold its head high that for the past six years it is and remains TV’s highest-rated series.
AMC will of course point away from that Live+Same Day number and, in acknowledgement of rising audience patterns, emphasize the delayed Live+3 viewing that will come out later this week.
After the TWD premiere, AMC had a two-hour The Talking Dead that was live from L.A.’s Greek Theatre. That Chris Hardwick-hosted shindig with cast and EPs drew 4.2 million total viewers and 2.3 million among 18-49s.
