Rumor has it that AMC's The Walking Dead has been taking noticeable hits in the ratings department for both the premiere and second episode. So is the show doomed?
"AMC Networks' stock price staggered today following the release of dreary ratings numbers for the second episode of the new season of The Walking Dead, and words of warning from a Wall Street analyst initiating coverage of the company. (Via)"
With money being lost and viewership down further than it's been in quite some time. With the way networks have recently been treating shows that start dropping in ratings, costing the money, is The Walking Dead stumbling like a zombie on it's last legs? Is the show doomed?
Heck no, and here's why.
It doesn't appear that AMC is particularly worried about the shows performance. One of the reasons is the competition. Both the NFL and MLB have had major games going on in the last couple of weeks, both of which have drawn rather significant viewership away from the 18-49 demographic that The Walking Dead tends to take. Additionally, thanks to DVR, new stats have been developed to analyze the performance of a show that may not be watched live. "Last week, the total audience grew 33 percent, and viewers in the target rose 36 percent when viewers who time-shifted the show were folded in." IE, the actual audience is bigger than before. People just don't necessarily watch it right away. It will take more than just a couple of sports games to eliminate this show, which has always had increasing viewership for its premiere's up until this year, a abnormality easily explained.
So no, I see no reason to consider that The Walking Dead is doomed, despite what Wall Street investors may think.
What do you think? Is this live viewership drop going to be a problem for the show? Was it just a fluke of overlapping programming? Tell us what you think!
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