Season 2 Premiere of History's VIKINGS Draws 3.6 Million Viewers

HISTORY's(R) hit scripted drama Vikings (#Vikings) struck back with a vengeance during its season two premiere at 10:00pm last night, averaging 3.6 million Total Viewers, 1.8 million Adults 25-54, 1.7 million Adults 18-49, 1.2 million Men 25-54 and 1.1 million Men 18-49, remaining one of cable's top programs overall, finishing behind only The Walking Dead and American Horror Story: Coven among all cable dramas this year, according to Nielsen Research.

Among social media, Vikings' season two launch was Twitter's most talked about cable program for the night, up +28% versus season one's debut, and HISTORY's most tweeted about premiere year-to-date (source: Nielsen SocialGuide).

Online at History.com, Vikings is the best returning series premiere of any History show on record in all key metrics, including Video Views, Visits and Page Views (source: Adobe Analytics).

Last spring, HISTORY introduced viewers to a clan of Norse warriors with a rapacious appetite for warfare, knowledge and power when it launched Vikings in concert with its hit miniseries The Bible. The gripping family saga of Ragnar, Rollo, Lagertha, friends and enemies was a tale of brutality and passion, alliances and infidelities, infighting and death. It portrayed life in the Dark Ages, a world ruled by raiders and explorers, through the eyes of Viking society.

Vikings centers on Ragnar (Travis Fimmel), a Restless young warrior and family man who longs to find and conquer new lands across the sea and claim the spoils as his own. Now he is an Earl, allied with King Horrik (Donal Logue). With more power than ever before, his desire to sail west and explore new kingdoms remains unquenchable.

Yet there's a heavy price to pay for Ragnar's ascent to greatness. Season two brings crises of faith, of power, of relationships. Brothers rise up against one another. Loyalties shift from friend to foe, and unlikely alliances are formed in the name of supremacy. Ragnar's indiscretions threaten his marriage to Lagertha (Katheryn Winnick), tearing him and his beloved son apart. Plots are hatched, scores are settled, blood is spilled... all under the watchful eyes of the gods.

New to the cast of Vikings this season are Alexander Ludwig (The Hunger Games) as Bjorn, the intelligent and bold warrior son of Ragnar Lothbrok, and Linus Roache (Law & Order) as Ecbert, King of Wessex, a man of strength, knowledge and undisguised ambition. They join Travis Fimmel as Ragnar Lothbrok; Katheryn Winnick as Lagertha, a fierce shield maiden and Ragnar's wife; Clive Standen as Rollo, Ragnar's impulsive, wild, care-free brother; George Blagden as Athelstan, a young and not-so-innocent Monk; Jessalyn Gilsig as Siggy, beautiful wife of the late Earl Haraldson; Donal Logue as King Horrik, who desires to make the increasingly famous Earl Ragnar an ally and supporter; Gustaf Skarsgard, a ship builder who designs the new generation of Vikings ships; and Alyssa Sutherland as Princess Aslaug, Ragnar's new love interest.

Created and written by Michael Hirst - one of the premier historical story-tellers in the industry (Academy-Award winning film Elizabeth; and the Emmy and Golden Globe nominated series The Tudors) -- who serves as Executive Producer along with Morgan O'Sullivan of World 2000 (The Count of Monte Cristo; The Tudors), John Weber of Take 5 Productions (The Tudors; The Borgias), Sherry Marsh, Alan Gasmer, James Flynn (The Tudors; The Borgias) and Sheila Hockin (The Tudors; The Borgias). Dirk Hoogstra and Julian P. Hobbs are the Executives in Charge of Production for HISTORY.

Vikings is an international Irish/Canadian co-production being co-produced by World 2000 and Take 5 Productions. HISTORY broadcasts domestically in the U.S. MGM Television brought the series to the network and brings Vikings to the global audience, serving as the international distributor outside of Ireland, Canada and the U.S. Vikings is produced in association with Shaw Media, and the series also airs on HISTORY in Canada.

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