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2014: The year The Walking Dead beat the Sochi Olympics

By Sarabeth Pollock

GANGNEUN, SOUTH KOREA - FEBRUARY 28: A general view of a street scene near the Gangneun Coastal Cluster, host of the Pyeongchang 2018 Winter Olympic Games, on February 28, 2017 in Gangneun, South Korea. (Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images)
GANGNEUN, SOUTH KOREA - FEBRUARY 28: A general view of a street scene near the Gangneun Coastal Cluster, host of the Pyeongchang 2018 Winter Olympic Games, on February 28, 2017 in Gangneun, South Korea. (Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images) /
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Four years ago, The Walking Dead’s season 4 went up against the 2014 Sochi Olympics and the NBA All Star Game and won the ratings race.

We’re barely a week into the 2018 Winter Olympics and most network and cable shows have bowed for the duration of the games so as to avoid going up against the big sports event. However, once upon a time The Walking Dead kicked off the second half of season 4 during the 2014 Sochi Olympics. They also went up against the NBA All Star Game. Interestingly enough, The Walking Dead’s ratings were strong against two huge sporting events.

Back in 2014, The Walking Dead went up against NBC’s coverage of the Winter Olympics in Sochi, and it won the ratings battle. The Walking Dead’s second episode of 4B, “Inmates,” scored a 6.8 rating in the coveted 18-49 demo over the Olympics’ 5.6 rating. They also beat the NBA All-Star Game that night, too.

“Inmates,” as The Walking Dead fans might recall, is the episode where Tyreese, Judith, Mika and Lizzie reunite with Carol. The group slowly starts making its way toward Terminus, too, because they have no idea what’s actually happening at Terminus. (Terminus is the place where “those who arrive, survive” just long enough to become dinner)

Things are a bit different these days. Ratings have fluctuated the past two seasons thanks to the decidedly divisive Savior and All Out War storyline playing out. But it’s important to note that showrunners didn’t shy away from debuting during the Olympics, rather it was a clear choice made because no one else is airing shows during the Olympics either. (With the exception of CBS, which decided that we needed Celebrity Big Brother…)

More from Undead Walking

As soon as the 2018 Winter Olympics wrap up, The Walking Dead will return on February 25. The divisiveness in the fandom is as pervasive as ever as Carl’s death looms over the midseason premiere. But having The Walking Dead back on Sunday nights is never a bad thing.

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