Season Premiere of Breaking Bad Was the Series' Highest-Rated Episode

The fifth and final season of Breaking Bad premiered on Sunday at 10 p.m. ET on AMC, and more people tuned in than for any other single episode of the series’ five-year run.

The 2.9 million viewers that watched the premiere were the most since the premiere of season four, which drew just under 2.5 million. Considering the amount of hype and publicity the much-anticipated episode received, the record-setting rating isn’t all that surprising. The high number did come despite the fact that a failed contract negotiation left Dish Network subscribers without AMC.

As was previously reported, the first eight episodes of Breaking Bad’s final season will air this summer, and fans will have to wait another year for the series to conclude when the final eight episodes air in the summer of 2013.

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