“Fear the Walking Dead,” AMC’s second successful offshoot of a popular series this year, has become the highest-rated first season of any series in cable history.
Last Sunday’s season finale averaged a 5.15 rating in adults 18-49 and 10.11 million viewers overall, according to Nielsen’s “live plus-3” estimates, which include delayed viewing via VOD and DVRs during the three days after its initial telecast. It was up slightly in total viewers vs. the previous week.
For its six episodes, “Fear” averaged 11.2 million viewers, including 7.3 million adults 18-49 (a 5.8 rating), according to Nielsen’s “live plus-3” estimates. On average, it grew from “same-day” to “L+3” by 2.0 ratings points in 18-49 (from a 3.8 rating) and by 3.6 million total viewers overall (from 7.6 million).
AMC is now home to the top three cable series season debuts ever in Live+3: “Fear the Walking Dead,” “The Walking Dead” in 2010 and “Better Call Saul” earlier this year.
“Fear” saw a gradual decline in its ratings since the show’s monster premiere on Aug. 23, but it continued to put up strong numbers despite significant competition from NBC’s “Sunday Night Football” in its final four airings. It finishes as television’s No. 2 new series of 2015, behind only Fox’s “Empire.”
During its first season last spring, “Better Call Saul” averaged 5.9 million viewers, including 3.7 million adults 18-49 and 3.6 million adults 25-54, according to Nielsen’s “live+3” estimates.
AMC also announced Friday that “Talking Dead,” the live after-show hosted by Chris Hardwick, will air after each episode during the show’s second season in 2016. The “Talking Dead” special that aired after “Fear’s” Oct. 4 season one finale delivered 2.9 million viewers, including 1.8 million adults 18-49 and 2.0 million adults 25-54.
