Delayed Viewing Gives 'Walking Dead' Big Boost

Episodes of The Walking Dead add more than 10.9 million viewers through time-shifting, according to year-end figures from Nielsen.

While the AMC zombie apocalypse series adds the largest number of viewers watching on a delay, FX’s series Fargo adds the most viewers on a percentage basis, more than tripling its total with a 240.3% increase.

Following Walking Dead, the top 10 shows adding the most viewers through time shifting are among TV’s most popular shows. They are CBS’ The Big Bang Theory, increasing by 9.4 million; Fox’s Empire, 7.7 million; NBC’s Blacklist, 7.3 million; NBC’s Blindspot, 7.1 million; ABC’s Modern Family, 7 million; AMC’s Fear the Walking Dead, 6.9 million; CBS’ NCIS, 6.9 million; HBO’s Game of Thrones, 6.3 million and ABC’s Scandal, 6 million.

Other big percentage gains were registered by HBO’s True Detective, 220.7%; AMC’s Better Call Saul, 215.2%; A&E’s Bates Motel, 201.8%; HBO’s Game of Thrones, 195.9%; FX’s Justified, 185.6%; USA’s Royal Pains, 181.15; MTV’s Teen Mom II (Season 6), 180.3%; USA’s Suits, 177.3%; and MTV’s Teen Mom (Season 5), 165.7%.

The report is based on viewers two years old and up, and the increase from live viewing to live plus seven days of delayed viewing.

Jon Lafayette

Jon has been business editor of Broadcasting+Cable since 2010. He focuses on revenue-generating activities, including advertising and distribution, as well as executive intrigue and merger and acquisition activity. Just about any story is fair game, if a dollar sign can make its way into the article. Before B+C, Jon covered the industry for TVWeek, Cable World, Electronic Media, Advertising Age and The New York Post. A native New Yorker, Jon is hiding in plain sight in the suburbs of Chicago.