Fear The Walking Dead Breaks Record with Largest Cable TV Debut in History
Keven Skinner
A companion series to “The Walking Dead,” the #1 show on television among adults 18-49, “Fear the Walking Dead” is executive produced by Robert Kirkman, Gale Anne Hurd, Greg Nicotero, David Alpert and showrunner David Erickson and produced by AMC Studios. Co-Executive Producer Adam Davidson, who directed the pilot, is also directing the second and third episodes. The series’ first season, consisting of six one-hour episodes, premiered on AMC August 23rd.
[Press Release]
AMC‘s special 90-minute Fear the Walking Dead premiere made television history, delivering 10.1 million live/same day viewers and becoming the #1 series premiere in cable television history for total viewers and all key demos. The episode delivered 6.3 million adults 18-49. In that coveted demographic, AMC now is home to three of the top five cable series premieres of all time in live/same day viewing – “Fear the Walking Dead” at #1 (2015), “Better Call Saul” at #2 (2015) and “The Walking Dead” at #5 (2010). A “Talking Dead” Season 6 Preview Special that preceded the “Fear” premiere last night delivered 4.2 million viewers, and 2.5 million adults 18-49.
“Thank you and congratulations to Robert Kirkman, Dave Erickson, the brilliant executive producers and the entire cast and crew of ‘Fear the Walking Dead,’” said Charlie Collier, president of AMC and SundanceTV. “It is increasingly difficult to evaluate a show’s success on night one. However, we are releasing these live/same day ratings because ‘Fear the Walking Dead’ delivered record-breaking numbers that are all the more special in this era of time-shifted viewing and audience fragmentation. To have a companion series to the #1 show on television driving communal, urgent viewing, social activity and pop cultural relevance of this magnitude is truly differentiating. Of course none of it is possible without the fans, whose passion leads to these remarkable results.”
Source: AMC
“‘Fear the Walking Dead’ takes us back to the earlier, more dangerous, more terrifying days of ‘The Walking Dead,’” said Kirkman. “A time when danger was lurking around every corner and the thing mostly likely to get you killed was your own ignorance of the rapidly changing world around you. The stakes are going to be higher and the ride more intense. We’re going to show people all the insanity of civilization crumbling that Rick Grimes slept through. Buckle up.”
