The season four premiere of Downton Abbey on PBS broke all previous ratings records, according to the latest info from Nielsen.
According to Nielsen data, 10.2 million viewers tuned in live, or within a few hours via digital video recorders, on Sunday night, up from 7.9 million at the start of season three and 8.2 million at the end of it.
PBS is not rated the same as the other major networks, because they do not have traditional commercials and other advertisements. The latest episodes of Downton Abbey are actually several months old, as PBS had decided to delay the US broadcast of episodes to this past Sunday, when they premiered season four.
According to CNN Entertainment, this was more than a “personal best” for Downton. The season four premiere outperformed every other drama on Sunday night. CBS’s The Good Wife had 9.2 million viewers; ABC’s Revenge 6.7 million. All these totals will increase once several days of digital video recorder viewership is factored in.
According to the latest data, the British show could become even more popular as this season progresses, especially when you factor in all the extra viewings that will come later through online sources.
Downton Abbey: Where We Left Off — [Spoiler Alert]
The Crawley family has seen two additions to the family in the wake of some shocking deaths. Expect all sorts of new drama from the family now that they’re heading into the Roaring ’20s, and look out for some new faces walking the halls.
Downton Abbey airs on PBS every Sunday night.
Sources: Nielsen Media | CNN Entertainment