By RODNEY HO/ rho@ajc.com, originally filed Monday, March 30, 2015
AMC's "The Walking Dead," as it ends its fifth season, remains a hugely popular show, with no signs of slacking.
Last night's season 5 finale drew 15.8 million viewers and a whopping 10.4 million among the coveted 18-49 demographic. The show draws more 18-49 year olds than any program in America.
Once DVR usage for a week is included, more than 20 million people will have seen the finale, which featured no major deaths but some serious close calls.
Overnight average viewership was 14.4 million viewers over 16 episodes, the best ever.
The "Talking Dead" episode, which strategically included Norman Reedus as a guest, drew its biggest numbers ever: 7.5 million. Considering it's a low-budget talk show set up simply to talk about "The Walking Dead," that is pretty darn astounding.
"It's tough enough in today's competitive environment to command attention, and even harder to hold onto it. So, for 'The Walking Dead' to maintain this level of urgent viewership in its fifth season – and to end with the highest-rated finale in series history – is really something rare and remarkable," said Charlie Collier, AMC president.
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