or


[03/30/15 - 11:46 AM]
"The Walking Dead" Season Five Finale Is Highest-Rated Finale in Series History, Delivering 15.8 Million Viewers and 10.4 Million Adults 18-49
AMC spins the numbers for Sunday, March 29.

[via press release from AMC]

"THE WALKING DEAD" SEASON FIVE FINALE IS HIGHEST-RATED FINALE IN SERIES HISTORY, DELIVERING 15.8 MILLION VIEWERS AND 10.4 MILLION ADULTS 18-49

EPISODE CAPS A STRONG SEASON THAT GREW 9% YEAR-OVER-YEAR IN ADULTS 18-49

"TALKING DEAD" AFTERSHOW ACHIEVES ITS HIGHEST-RATED EPISODE EVER WITH 7.5 MILLION VIEWERS AND 4.9 MILLION ADULTS 18-49

"THE WALKING DEAD" ENDS SEASON FIVE WITH ALL 16 EPISODES RANKING AMONG THE TOP 20 ENTERTAINMENT TELECASTS IN ADULTS 18-49 THIS BROADCAST SEASON

NEW YORK, NY - March 30, 2015 - The special 90-minute season five finale of "The Walking Dead" last night was the highest-rated finale in series history, delivering 15.8 million viewers and 10.4 million adults 18-49. The episode capped the show's strong fifth season with all 16 episodes ranking in the top 20 entertainment telecasts across all of television this broadcast season among adults 18-49. When including sports and specials, all 16 episodes of "The Walking Dead" season five rank in the top 50 telecasts across all of television among adults 18-49 - the first time a series has achieved this in cable history. With time-shifted playback added in, this season finale of "The Walking Dead" should exceed more than 20 million viewers and 14 million adults 18-49.

"The Walking Dead" remains the #1 show in all of television among adults 18-49. Despite formidable competition from the NFL in the first half of its season and special event programming in the second half, such as the Oscars, the Grammys, the Saturday Night Live 40th Anniversary Special and the NBA All-Star Game, the show's fifth season has delivered an average of 14.4 million viewers and 9.4 million adults 18-49 live/same day across its 16 episodes, an increase of 9% season over season in adults 18-49.

Also last night, "Talking Dead" achieve its highest-rated episode in series history, drawing 7.5 million viewers and 4.9 million adults 18-49. Each week, the live "Talking Dead" aftershow features host Chris Hardwick and fans, actors, producers and other TV enthusiasts discussing that night's "The Walking Dead" premiere. Last night's season finale featured Norman Reedus (Daryl), Melissa McBride (Carol) and Lennie James (Morgan).

"The Walking Dead" and "Talking Dead" were among the top 3 telecasts in all of cable among adults 18-49 for 12 out of the 16 weeks they aired this season; for six of those weeks, they were the #1 and #2 telecasts, respectively. This season, "Talking Dead" solidified its position as a top 10 show across all of television in adults 18-49 - an astonishing level of success for an aftershow originally conceived as a way to provide an on-air focal point for the conversation that followed episodes of "The Walking Dead," particularly in social media.

Last night's season five finale "The Walking Dead" was also the #1 most engaging series of the day on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and Tumblr, outperforming all cable, broadcast and streaming episodic series.

"It's tough enough in today's competitive environment to command attention, and even harder to hold onto it. So, for 'The Walking Dead' to maintain this level of urgent viewership in its fifth season - and to end with the highest-rated finale in series history - is really something rare and remarkable," said Charlie Collier, AMC president. "We're thankful to Robert Kirkman, Scott Gimple, Chris Hardwick, our fantastic executive producers and the talented writers, cast and crews for delivering another season of unforgettable and engaging television. And to the many amazing people who drive the passion for this program across multiple platforms, I paraphrase (and welcome back) Morgan when I say, 'All fans are precious.'"

Key Nielsen Highlights for the Season Five Finale of "The Walking Dead"

· 9:00 pm airing - 8.1 HH national rating (10.0 cvg) with 15.8 million viewers

· 9:00 pm airing - 8.2 national rating (10.3 cvg) with 10.4 million Adults 18-49

· 9:00 pm airing - 8.0 national rating (10.0 cvg) with 9.6 million Adults 25-54

Key Nielsen Highlights for the Season Four Finale of "Talking Dead"

· 10:31 pm airing - 3.8 national rating (4.7 cvg) with 7.5 million viewers

· 10:31 pm airing - 3.9 national rating (4.8 cvg) with 4.9 million Adults 18-49

· 10:31 pm airing - 3.8 national rating (4.7 cvg) with 4.5 million Adults 25-54

Top 10 Programs Season To Date
Net Program Name A18-49 (000)
AMC WALKING DEAD, THE 9,373
NBC VOICE, THE 7,036
FOX EMPIRE 6,350
CBS BIG BANG THEORY, THE 5,789
ABC MODERN FAMILY 4,230
ABC SCANDAL 3,892
ABC HOW TO GET AWAY W/MURDER 3,766
CBS 60 MINUTES 3,647
CBS ODD COUPLE, THE 3,583
AMC TALKING DEAD 3,551

Source: Nielsen Media Research fast nationals, L+SD. All ranks include telecasts with at least 15 minutes of programming during 8:00pm-11:00pm. A18-49 (000). Ranks exclude sports & specials, full average of program. TWD, TD season to date include data through 3/29/15, all other programs through 3/26/15.

About AMC

Whether commemorating favorite films from every genre and decade, or creating acclaimed original programming, AMC brings to its audience something deeper, something richer, Something More. The network reigns as the only cable network in history ever to win the Emmy(R) Award for Outstanding Drama Series four years in a row with "Mad Men," and six of the last seven with current back-to-back honoree, "Breaking Bad." The network boasts the most-watched drama series in basic cable history and the number one show on television among adults 18-49 for the last two years with "The Walking Dead." AMC's original drama series include "Mad Men," "The Walking Dead," "Better Call Saul," "Hell on Wheels," "TURN: Washington's Spies," "Halt and Catch Fire," and the forthcoming "Humans," "The Making of The Mob: New York," "Fear the Walking Dead," "Into the Badlands" and "The Night Manager." AMC also explores authentic worlds and discussion with original shows like "Talking Dead" and "Comic Book Men." AMC is owned and operated by AMC Networks Inc. and its sister networks include IFC, SundanceTV, BBC America and WE tv. AMC is available across all platforms, including on-air, online, on demand and mobile. AMC: Something More.





  [march 2015]  
S
M
T
W
T
F
S


· TALKING DEAD (AMC)
· WALKING DEAD, THE (AMC)





most recent ratings | view all posts
[10/03/25 - 02:17 PM]
ESPN's Record-Setting '25 MLB Wild Card Series
Across eight games, the MLB Wild Card Series is averaging 4.4 million viewers, up 65% from last year.

[10/03/25 - 12:07 PM]
"Dancing with the Stars" Continues to Shatter Records - Growing Two Weeks in a Row Since Season Premiere for First Time Since 2005
Plus: "High Potential" hit a season high in Total Viewers (4.24 million), growing by double digits over the show's comparable third episode from last fall.

[10/02/25 - 04:09 PM]
ESPN Delivers the Most-Watched WNBA Semifinals Ever
Game 5 between the Indiana Fever and the Las Vegas Aces averaged 1.8 million viewers, peaking at 2.1 million.

[10/02/25 - 02:51 PM]
ESPN's Record-Setting Day One of MLB Wild Card Series
Coverage of Red Sox versus Yankees averaged 6.5 million viewers, peaking at 9.9 million.

[10/02/25 - 11:00 AM]
"Survivor" and "The Amazing Race" Season Premieres Hit Their Largest 3-Day Streaming Viewerships Ever
The "Survivor" season 49 premiere grew to 6.83 million viewers with three days of multiplatform viewership; while "The Amazing Race" season 38 premiere grew to 4.01 million viewers.

[10/02/25 - 09:38 AM]
"Celebrity Wheel of Fortune" Scores on Friday Nights with Biggest Total Viewer Audience in Nearly Two Years
"Celebrity Wheel of Fortune" stood as the No. 1 program of the night, rising by double digits in Total Viewers over its previous season premiere.

[10/01/25 - 10:27 AM]
"Big Brother" Season Finale Is Most-Watched Episode in Over Three Years
The finale was up +33% from its year ago finale and up +33% from this season's average.

[09/30/25 - 03:44 PM]
ESPN and ABC Win College Football's Week 5; "College GameDay's" Most-Viewed Season Rolls On
ABC is off to its best start ever with 7.1 million average viewers per game, and the network has aired eight of the top 10 most-viewed games this season.

[09/30/25 - 02:08 PM]
Packers-Cowboys OT Thriller Averages 26.9 Million Viewers on NBC & Peacock, As NBC Sports Opens with Best Four-Week Audience Average in 20 Seasons of NBC "SNF"
The audience peaked at 29.9 million viewers in the second quarter (9-9:15 p.m. ET).

[09/30/25 - 12:01 PM]
Netflix Top 10 Week of September 22: "Wayward" Lures Viewers at No. 1, "KPop Demon Hunters" Sets Top 10 Record
New on Netflix this week is "House of Guinness," a historical drama series created by Steven Knight, which debuted at No. 3 on the English TV list with 5.2 million views.

[09/30/25 - 10:24 AM]
"High Potential" Season Premiere Vaults to Nearly 16 Million in First Week Across Platforms
This marks ABC's best season premiere for a drama among Total Viewers in five years.

[09/29/25 - 06:06 AM]
ESPN's 2025 MLB Game Viewership Up 21 Percent from Last Year
Coverage delivered 1.8 million viewers on average across 30 games this season.

[09/26/25 - 01:11 PM]
"Dancing with the Stars" Week Two Delivers Over 5 Million Total Viewers Rising Over Season Premiere for First Time in 14 Years
Once again, the show led its time period and stood as the No. 1 show of the night in Total Viewers (5.46 million) and Adults 18-49 (1.02 rating).

[09/25/25 - 02:05 PM]
Viewers Have Watched More Than 8 Billion Minutes of "Big Brother" This Summer - Up +27% from Last Year
Multiplatform average episode viewership grew to 5.1 million, up +23% versus last year in 35-days of viewing, outpacing the competition.

[09/24/25 - 02:47 PM]
"Jimmy Kimmel Live" Returned on Tuesday to 6.26 Million Total Viewers on Broadcast, According to Initial Live+Same Day Measurement
In addition to linear ratings, the monologue has garnered more than 26 million views across YouTube and social platforms.