Apparently, year-over-year ratings growth is not a certainty for cable dramas.
Despite limited broadcast competition, AMC’s “Mad Men” opened its sixth season on a down note Sunday, falling slightly to 3.4 million viewers and roughly a 1.1 in the adults 18-49 demographic. Last year’s premiere averaged 3.54 million viewers and an approximate demo rating of 1.3.
The news was not all negative for AMC, however. “Mad Men” still remains a solid cable performer, and its premiere viewership tally was up notably from the season five average. It also built on last year’s season finale.
Unfortunately, insofar as “Mad Men” viewership tends to decline as the season progresses, there is no certainty that the comparison to the season five average will remain favorable.