The midseason premiere of “The Walking Dead” delivered monstrous ratings Sunday night, averaging 15.8 million viewers.
That wasn’t a record for the AMC zombie drama, but considering it was up against the Olympics on NBC and the CBS Beatles special, it really knocked one out of the park.
The episode’s 15.8 million viewers felljust short of the 16.1 million viewers who watched “The Walking Dead’s” fourth season premiere last October. It could surpass that number once time-shifted viewing (DVRs, etc.) is included.
Airing against the Olympics, the 9 p.m. episode also drew 10.4 million viewers among adults 18-49, topping the Games in the key advertising demo (the Olympics drew 25.4 million total viewers).
Following the premiere, “Talking Dead” at 10 p.m. hit a series-best 5.9 million viewers and 3.9 million viewers ages 18-49. The live after-show hosted by Chris Hardwick featured executive producer/special effects guru Greg Nicotero and Danai Gurira, who plays Michonne in the series, as guests.