The Walking Dead season premiere hits 5-year low
The season 8 premiere of The Walking Dead saw ratings that hit a 5-year low, but the cable drama still sits atop the heap of top-rated shows currently on television.
The numbers are in, and “Mercy,” the season 8 premiere of The Walking Dead has registered a new low for the zombie apocalypse cable drama. However, according to The Hollywood Reporter, that isn’t exactly bad news for a show of its sort, entering its eighth season, as The Walking Dead’s season premiere “obliterated” every other show with the exception of the NFL.
Nielsen numbers gave “Mercy” an average 11.4 million viewers, with 6.5 million of that total being adults ages 18-49. That translates to a 5.0 rating in the demographic TWD is trying to hit. If you compare those numbers to the season 7 premiere, they reveal a “dramatic drop” equalling to roughly 43% among total viewers.
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THR does explain that comparing the two season premieres ratings-wise, isn’t exactly fair.
"The seventh-season premiere of The Walking Dead proved to be a ratings anomaly. Thanks to interest in a cliff-hanger, it neared series highs for a live-plus-same day telecast — averaging 17 million viewers and 10.7 million adults 18-49."
The Walking Dead most assuredly seems to be suffering from viewership fatigue, which isn’ unheard of in a show of its kind (basic cable TV drama). However, premium cable juggernaut, Game of Thrones continues to shatter ratings records, as it recently finished its seventh season, and now turns toward filming its eighth and final one.
Next: ‘The Walking Dead’ Season 8 premiere recap
With a 16 episode slated season, as is the norm for TWD, one shouldn’t expect the show’s numbers to get any better. In fact, fans should prepare themselves to once again hear about the falling ratings, as the season continues on.