AMC Renews FEAR THE WALKING DEAD for Third Season

Days after a season two premiere that solidified FEAR THE WALKING DEAD as the #2 show on cable (behind only "The Walking Dead") and the #7 show in all of television - cable and broadcast - among adults 18-49 this television season, AMC announced that it has renewed the series set at the onset of the zombie apocalypse for a third season of 16 episodes, airing in 2017. The network also announced that it had renewed the live aftershow "Talking Dead: Fear," hosted by Chris Hardwick, for another season, following all new episodes of "Fear."

In Nielsen live+3 ratings, Sunday's "Fear the Walking Dead" season two premiere delivered 8.8 million viewers, including 5.7 million adults 25-54 and 5.3 million adults 18-49. The live "Talking Dead: Fear" aftershow delivered 2.8 million viewers including 1.8 million adults 25-54 and 1.6 million 18-49.

"What Dave Erickson and Robert Kirkman have invented in 'Fear The Walking Dead' is to be applauded. Watching Los Angeles crumble through the eyes of our characters and seeing each make decisions and try to figure out the rules of their new world - it's fresh, eerie and compelling and we're all in for the ride," said Charlie Collier, president of AMC, SundanceTV and AMC Studios. "As Victor Strand observed, 'The only way to survive a mad world is to embrace the madness.' We thank the millions of fans for embracing this mad world and look forward to sailing far into the future."

Key Nielsen Highlights for the premiere of "Fear The Walking Dead" (L+3)

Episode 201, 9 p.m., Sunday, April 10
8.8 million viewers, up 32% from live/same day (growth of 2.2 million)
5.3 million Adults 18-49, up 36% from live/same day (growth of 1.4 million)
5.7 million Adults 25-54, up 35% from live/same day (growth of 1.5 million)

Key Nielsen Highlights for the premiere of "Talking Dead: Fear" (L+3)

Episode 201, 10:01 p.m. Sunday, April 10
2.8 million viewers, up 19% from live/same day
1.6 million Adults 18-49, up 19% from live/same day
1.8 million Adults 25-54, up 21% from live/same day

Current Live+3 Adults 18-49 Season Average Rankers

Cable Only

A18-49 Program Name US AA % (000)
AMC WALKING DEAD 9.1 11,493
AMC FEAR THE WALKING DEAD 4.9 6,195
ESPN COLL FTBL BOWL STUDIO L 4.8 6,129
ESPN NFL REGULAR SEASON L 4.5 5,726
AMC TALKING DEAD 3.0 3,743
FX AMERICAN HORROR STORY 2.9 3,702
FX ACS: PEOPLE V. OJ SIMPSON 2.8 3,509
AMC INTO THE BADLANDS 2.5 3,201
NFLN THURSDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL 2.5 3,197
TBS MLB NLCS 2.3 2,938
Source: Nielsen L+3 (09/21/2015 - 04/10/2016). Excludes repeats, specials. Top 10 Listed. Rank on (000). 2+ TC

All Television (Broadcast and Cable)

A18-49 Program Name US AA % (000)
AMC WALKING DEAD 9.1 11,493
NBC NBC SUNDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL 7.5 9,505
FOX EMPIRE 6.6 8,389
CBS CBS+NFLN THU NT FOOTBALL 5.7 7,282
CBS BIG BANG THEORY, THE 5.5 6,992
NBC SUNDAY NIGHT NFL PRE-KICK 5.4 6,795
AMC FEAR THE WALKING DEAD 4.9 6,195
ESPN COLL FTBL BOWL STUDIO L 4.8 6,129
ESPN NFL REGULAR SEASON L 4.5 5,726
FOX X-FILES 4.3 5,448

Source: Nielsen L+3 (09/21/2015 - 04/10/2016). Excludes repeats, specials. Top 10 Listed. Rank on (000). 2+ TC

A wholly original companion series to "The Walking Dead," the #1 show on television among adults 18-49 for the last four years, "Fear the Walking Dead" is executive produced by Robert Kirkman, Gale Anne Hurd, Greg Nicotero, David Alpert and showrunner David Erickson and produced by AMC Studios.

About AMC AMC is home to some of the most popular and acclaimed programs on television. AMC was the first basic cable network to ever win the Emmy® Award for Outstanding Drama Series with "Mad Men" in 2008, which then went on to win the coveted award four years in a row, before "Breaking Bad" won it in 2013 and 2014. The network's series "The Walking Dead" is the highest-rated series in cable history and the number one show on television among adults 18-49 for the last four years. AMC's other current original drama series include "Better Call Saul," "Hell on Wheels," "Turn: Washington's Spies," "Halt and Catch Fire," "Humans," "Fear the Walking Dead," "Into the Badlands" and the forthcoming "The Night Manager," "Feed the Beast," "Preacher," "The Son" and "The Terror." AMC also explores authentic worlds and discussion with original shows like "Talking Dead," "The Making of The Mob," "Comic Book Men" and the upcoming "Ride with Norman Reedus" and "The American West." AMC is owned and operated by AMC Networks Inc. and its sister networks include IFC, SundanceTV, BBC America and WE tv. AMC is available across all platforms, including on-air, online, on demand and mobile.

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