When “The Walking Dead” returned to AMC for its ninth season last year, 6.08 million people tuned in to watch the episode, and the season’s viewership ultimately ended up dipping all the way down to 4.15 million viewers at its lowest (episode 15). The season 9 finale pulled in 5 million viewers, and the ratings have dipped once again from season-to-season.
Via THR, this past Sunday night’s season 10 premiere of “The Walking Dead” was watched live by 4 million viewers, the show’s smallest same-day audience ever. The episode, titled “Lines We Cross”, drew a 1.4 rating among adults 18-49. As THR makes sure to note, “Ad-supported TV as a whole is suffering from sizable declines in same-day ratings as audiences both have more options for programming and more ways to catch up on series after they air.”
For the sake of comparison, here’s the viewership for every season premiere to date:
- Season 1 – 5.35 million
- Season 2 – 7.26 million
- Season 3 – 10.87 million
- Season 4 – 16.11 million
- Season 5 – 17.30 million
- Season 6 – 14.63 million
- Season 7 – 17.03 million
- Season 8 – 11.44 million
- Season 9 – 6.08 million
- Season 10 – 4 million
As you can see, the show has taken a *massive* hit in the years since it reached the height of its popularity, but the story here sure isn’t that “The Walking Dead” is on its last legs. Quite the opposite, it would seem. Not only has AMC already renewed “The Walking Dead” for an eleventh season, but a brand new (as-yet untitled) spinoff is arriving in Spring 2020.
In other words, AMC doesn’t seem to be losing much faith in “The Walking Dead.” And it’s always important to note that the series is still a ratings juggernaut at the end of the day.
It’s just not as popular as it once was, is all. And for a series that’s now in its tenth season, we can’t exactly say that’s a big surprise. Viewer fatigue is inevitable in the world of television.
Are you still watching?
