AMC’s Breaking Bad hit a series high with the first of its final eight episodes on Sunday night, drawing 5.9 million total viewers at 9 p.m., more than double the haul for the show’s season five premiere last summer.
The episode also drew 3.3 million adults 25 to 54 and 3.6 million persons 18 to 49, up 81% and 87% from its last premiere, respectively. The 18-to-49 delivery makes it second only to AMC’s The Walking Dead in the key demo across all of cable.
The record viewership helped launch new drama Low Winter Sun to 2.5 million total viewers at 10 p.m., as well as 1.4 million persons 18 to 49 and 1.3 million adults 25 to 54. That was down considerably from the 4.4 million viewers who watched the premiere of AMC’s last drama launch Hell on Wheels, which premiered out of The Walking Dead, and just below the 2.7 million viewers who watched The Killing bow in April 2011.
The Breaking Bad after-show Talking Bad averaged 1.2 million viewers, 679,000 persons 18 to 49 and 672,000 adults 25 to 54 at 11 p.m.
On Saturday, the two-hour, third-season premiere of Hell on Wheels drew 2.5 million totalviewers, up 2% from its season two debut on a new night.
