Demonstrating slightly better retention than last season’s corresponding episode, Sunday’s “The Walking Dead” delivered a monstrous 7.7 adults 18-49 rating with 15.14 million viewers.
The figures were down by 11% and 12%, respectively, from the 8.7 and 17.29 million drawn by last week’s fifth season premiere.
Last year, the second installment of the fourth season took a 13% hit in both columns.
Despite facing hefty competition from NBC’s Sunday Night Football game between the Denver Broncos and San Francisco 49ers, Sunday’s “Dead” drew the series’ fifth-best viewership to date. Only the fifth season premiere, the fourth season premiere, the mid-fourth season premiere and the fourth season finale drew larger audiences.