The ratings have stumbled again for the second week of AMC’s The Walking Dead. Variety reported that the second episode of the popular series, which aired on Oct. 29, averaged a 4.0 rating in adults 18-49 and 8.9 million viewers. This 20 percent drop from the Season 8 premiere is the show’s lowest ratings since Season 2.
The show’s ratings also competed with Sunday night NFL and Game 5 of the World Series. The total viewers of the second episode of The Walking Dead were the lowest since Season 2’s episode “Better Angels” that aired in 2012 with 6.9 million viewers.
The show had decline in ratings since its premiere and also 100th episode, which was the lowest rated premiere since Season 3. Despite its gradual decline in ratings, The Walking Dead was still the top-rated show on Sunday night by a decent margin. The Walking Dead after-show Talking Dead took second place in ratings on Sunday night with 3.2 million viewers and a 1.4 rating.
Even though this is not necessarily good news for the show, there is no need to worry yet. The Walking Dead is averaging a 4.5 rating, which is still above-average, averaging above the next highest-rated shows on TV of 3.2 rated CBS’s Big Bang Theory and 3.1 rated NBC’s This is Us. The Season 8 premiere also saw a boost in Live +3 ratings, DVR ratings, climbing over 3.5 million viewers in the days following the broadcast.
The Walking Dead airs on AMC on Sundays 9/8c.