AMC's The Walking Dead aired its season five finale and 15.8 million viewers tuned in to watch the 90-minute finale. This was the highest rated finale in the shows history.
10.4 million of those viewers came from the coveted 18-49 age demographic. When delayed viewings and DVR metrics are counted, the finale could reach over 20 million viewers in total.
The Dead finale was up against HBO's documentary about Scientology and WWE's WrestleMania, which was a pay-per-view event but AMC's drama took in the most viewers, CNN added.
AMC president Charlie Collier spoke out about the continued success of Walking Dead. "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 Collier.
He went on to thank Robert Kirkman, the series creator, Scott Gimple and the entire cast and crew for their dedication and passion towards the show. Collier concluded his comments by thanking the fans, "And to the many amazing people who drive the passion for this program across multiple platforms, I paraphrase (and welcome back) Morgan when I say, ‘All fans are precious.’”
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