The premiere of MTV's hit new sci-fi fantasy series THE SHANNARA CHRONICLES unearthed epic viewership numbers, with the premiere event reaching 7.5 million total L+3 viewers across all airings, including an average 1.9 million L+3 viewers for the premiere telecast on MTV.
The two-hour premiere jumped 71% in L+3 to earn a 1.2 rating among MTV's core P12-34 audience, as well as a 1.2 among P18-34 - the highest L+3 lift for a series premiere in
MTV history. It was the number-one original series in its timeslot on cable among P12-34, P18-24, P18-34, and P18-49, and the number two original series on cable for the night among P12-34, second only to MTV's "Teen Wolf." "The Shannara Chronicles" debuted Tuesday, January 5 at 10:00 p.m. ET/PT.
Additionally, the premiere of "The Shannara Chronicles" has been streamed 3.1 million times across digital platforms including MTV.com and the
MTV app. To date, "The Shannara Chronicles" has been viewed 14.6 million times across linear and digital platforms. Additionally, "The Shannara Chronicles" premiere delivered the best single-week performance on iTunes ever for an
MTV series.
"The incredibly positive response on social media and great word of mouth translated into big viewership for the 'Shannara' premiere, delivering a very strong start for the series and a lot of new viewers to the network," said Mina Lefevre, Executive Vice President and Head of Scripted Development for MTV. "This season truly just gets better as we raise the
STAKES for our heroes and reveal more of the world of 'Shannara,' and we're excited to take fans further on this epic journey."
The third episode of "The Shannara Chronicles" airs Tuesday, January 12 at 10:00 p.m. ET/PT on
MTV - click HERE for a sneak peek (embed code available at link). In episode three, Wil and Amberle are kidnapped by Eretria and Cephalo while returning to the palace. But the Rovers are the least of their worries - Wil must learn how to use the Elfstones before a bloodthirsty Fury kills them all. Episodes three and four are available now via TV Everywhere on MTV.com, the
MTV app, and select VOD platforms.
The "Shannara" premiere was preceded by the season 5B premiere of MTV's "Teen Wolf," which reached 2.8 million total viewers in L+3. The episode drew a 1.5 L+3 rating among P12-34 and 1.2 L+3 among P18-34. The "Teen Wolf" Season 5B premiere episode has been streamed 7.7 million times to date on digital platforms including MTV.com and the
MTV app.
#Shannara on Social Media
MTV was the number-one most social non-sports network on the night of "The Shannara Chronicles" debut, with the premiere event delivering a strong performance on social media. The premiere earned 30,000 tweets during the broadcast - approximately 5 tweets per second - during its initial airing. Both #Shannara and star Austin Butler (Wil) trended worldwide on Twitter throughout the night.
For more ways to connect with "The Shannara Chronicles" like it on Facebook at
Facebook.com/theshannarachronicles or follow the show on Twitter @Shannara.
"The Shannara Chronicles" is an epic television event based on the sweeping, best-selling fantasy book series by Terry Brooks. Set thousands of years in the future, the story follows three heroes, Elf-Human hybrid Wil (Austin Butler), Elvin Princess Amberle (Poppy Drayton), and Human Rover Eretria (Ivana Baquero), as they embark on a quest to stop an evil Demon army from destroying the world. "The Shannara Chronicles" airs Tuesdays at 10:00 p.m. ET/PT on MTV.
"The Shannara Chronicles" is written for television by and executive produced by Al Gough and Miles Millar. Jon Favreau, Jonathan Liebesman, Terry Brooks, and Dan Farah also serve as executive producers. The first two episodes were directed by Jonathan Liebesman ("Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles").
MTV is producing with Sonar Entertainment, which is also distributing the series worldwide.
Sources: Viewership and Ratings: Nielsen; Live +3 Data; ranks based on Live +3 (000s); Reach 1 min qual., all airings of premiere episode on
MTV and premiere simulcast on MTV2, TV Land, TeenNick; to-date viewing includes all plays through 1/7/16
Digital Streams: Omniture SiteCatalyst,
Youtube Analytics, 1/4/16-1/10/16
Tweets: Nielsen SocialGuide
About MTV
MTV is a global media brand inspired by the freedom and passion of youth.
About Sonar Entertainment: Sonar Entertainment is a multi-faceted independent creative company designed to meet today's ever-changing landscape in global television production and distribution. With headquarters in Los Angeles and offices around the world, Sonar is uniquely positioned to participate in a variety of ways in order to create quality television series, miniseries and movies. The company has the capabilities to develop, produce, acquire, deficit finance, package and distribute product both internationally and domestically. While primarily focused on the development and production of new product, Sonar is also the distributor of over 1,000 library titles comprised of award-winning programs from RHI Entertainment and Hallmark Entertainment, among others.
Image courtesy of MTV
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