While it still remains the biggest show currently shuffling onto TV screens around the world, The Walking Dead continued to shed viewers with its 100th episode, and season 8 premiere, ‘Mercy’.
According to Variety, and the Nielsen Live+Same Day Data ratings system, the premiere garnered 11.4 million viewers on Sunday night and 5.0 rating in the all-important 18-49 demographic. This is the third lowest rating in the history of the show after the debuts of seasons 1 and 2, and dips below the 2012 season 3 premiere total of 10.86 million viewers.
The much ballyhooed, and divisive season 7 premiere, in which Lucille doled out her barbed wire Russian roulette to some of our favourite survivors, drew 17.03 million, meaning a steep 40% decline from a year ago.
The full rundown of season premiere figures can be found below.
Season 5 (8.7, 17.29 million)
Season 7 (8.4, 17.03 million)
Season 4 (8.2, 16.11 million)
Season 6 (7.4, 14.63 million)
Season 3 (5.8, 10.86 million)
Season 8 (5.0, 11.4 million)
Season 2 (3.8, 7.26 million)
Season 1 (2.7, 5.35 million)
So what do you think is the reason for the slow decline of The Walking Dead? Apathy? Repetition? Negan? As always, leave your comments below…
Originally published October 24, 2017. Updated October 25, 2017.
