'The Walking Dead' Fall Finale Makes Big Gain in Live +3 Ratings

The Walking Dead has been going through a major skid in the ratings this season, posting numbers that are lower than the AMC series was earning back in Season 2. Fortunately, the on-demand numbers are helping Rick and the others a bit.

After last week's midseason finale, which featured possibly the biggest reveal in series history, ratings grew tremendously with on-demand and DVR viewings. 7.9 million viewers tuned in when the episode aired live last Sunday night, but that number grew to 11.51 after three days of delayed viewings.

The initial episode earned just a 3.4 rating in the 18-49 demographic. However, in the Live+3 numbers, that rating rose to a 5.1. This represents a gain of 1.7 in the ratings, and an addition of 3.6 million viewers.

Walking Dead's bump in ratings put other Sunday night shows to shame. No other series in the top rated shows from last Sunday were able to post higher than a 0.6 boost in the Live+3.

While The Walking Dead always sees strong gains in delayed viewings, this week likely saw a significant bump to the buzz that the episode created. At the end of the finale, the internet was going crazy about Carl's big reveal, and fans were quick to watch the episode to see what they had missed.

The Walking Dead is currently on its winter hiatus and will return to AMC on Sunday, February 25, 2018 on AMC.