The first shots in All Out War may have been fired this past Sunday, but it seems it wasn’t enough to prevent The Walking Dead from slipping to a five-year season finale ratings low.
According to Deadline, the season seven finale ‘The First Day of the Rest of Your Life’ pulled in 11.3 million viewers in total, and 7.1 million among the key 18-49 demographic, for a 5.9 rating. Although that was up from the previous episode, total viewership was down 20% from the season six finale, and 4.5 million viewers down from the season five finale of 15.8 million, which marked a series high. In terms of season finales, only the first season (5.9 million) and second season (8.99 million) scored lower in the key demo.
The Walking Dead has seen an overall decline in viewers this year, falling to its lowest ratings since season 3, although Sunday’s finale did face some stiff competition from the likes of Big Little Lies, Black Sails, Homeland and WrestleMania. However, the show still remains a huge success for AMC, and continues to occupy its place as the top rated entertainment show in the 18-49 demographic – a position it has held for the past five years.
Originally published April 5, 2017. Updated April 16, 2018.
