"Fear the Walking Dead" Debut Shatters Cable Records w/ 10.1M Viewers

[JamesG]

"Fear the Walking Dead" Debut Ratings Draw 10.1M Viewers, Shatters Cable Records
by Dominic Patten
August 24, 2015


Few spin-offs — or “companion series,” as AMC likes to call it — have been as anticipated as "Fear the Walking Dead". Well, anticipation of the new show’s August 23 9 PM debut translated into 10.1 million viewers, with 6.3 million among adults 18-49 for a 4.9 rating.

Proving the power of the brand, the viewership and demo results are the new highs for any premiere in cable history, according to Nielsen.





Apples to apples is hard here, but compared to the premiere of the mothership "The Walking Dead" had 5.35 million total viewers and a strong 2.7/7 demo rating for its October 31, 2010, launch, "Fear" already is a big hit.

Of course, 2010 is a whole other era in terms of TV viewing patterns and in terms of the now-blockbuster "Walking Dead". The record-breaking Season 5 opener of "The Walking Dead" on October 12 last year had 17.3 million total viewers and 11 million among the 18-49s for an 8.7 rating.

The Season 5 finale drew 15.8 million viewers on March 29 with 10.4 million in the demo, resulting in an 8.2 rating.





The 90-minute "Fear the Walking Dead" premiere faced off against the second hour of the Tennessee Titans-St. Louis Rams NFL preseason game on Fox on Sunday night. Just as "The Walking Dead" beat Sunday Night Football five times last year, "Fear" topped the NFL in its debut.

Both shows are EP’d by Robert Kirkman, Gale Anne Hurd, Greg Nicotero and David Alpert, with Dave Erickson serving as showrunner for "Fear".

http://deadline.com/2015/08/fear-the...mc-1201504381/

[JamesG]

"Fear the Walking Dead" Ratings Smash Cable Records with Live+3 Results
by Dominic Patten
August 28, 2015


Having solidly taken the top cable debut spot with its first round of ratings, it’s no surprise that "Fear the Walking Dead" has now ripped apart the previous Live+3 records.

With DVR numbers now in, the August 23 premiere had 13.3 million total viewers and 8.5 million adults 18-49. That jumps it ahead of AMC’s other recent successful and previous record holding spinoff "Better Call Saul" in the key categories and seals "Fear" as the summer’s top cable offering.



Compared to its Live+Same Day numbers, the urban zombie apocalypse series from showrunner Dave Erickson was up 32% in viewers and 36% in 18-49s.

The Live+3 results for "Better Call Saul" were 9.8 million viewers and 6.1 million 18-49s, up 42% and 40%, respectively from its already very impressive Live + SD numbers using "The Walking Dead‘s" Season 5 midseason return as its lead-in that February 8.



"The Walking Dead’s" October 31, 2010 debut had a hefty 4.255 million in adults 18-49 in Live+3 ratings. To add some further, and perhaps humbling perspective, the Season 5 debut of TWD last fall had a cable record busting 22.372 million total viewers and 14.523 million in the 18-49 demo in its Live+3 results.

The mothership show returns for its Season 6 premiere on October 11.

http://deadline.com/2015/08/fear-the...mc-1201508698/