With available time-shifted viewing data, the premiere episode of HISTORY’s event series “Roots” was watched by 14.4 million total linear viewers over the course of all premiere week telecasts, the network announced today.
Put simply, “linear viewing” is via your cable or network TV subscription. And “non-linear viewing” encompasses any medium that allows the viewer control over the time of programming. Some examples of this include DVR, Netflix, Hulu, and Amazon Prime, etc.
Thus, the 14.4 million number is expected to rise significantly once non-linear viewership is calculated.
The entire series has so far reached 50.6 million viewers across all linear telecasts during the week ending June 5, based on the most current Nielsen data.
“These viewership totals emphasize that today’s audiences look to appointment weeks instead of appointment nights when making their viewing decisions,” said Nancy Dubuc, President & CEO of A+E Networks. “All of us at A+E Networks are incredibly proud of ‘ROOTS’ and its critical-acclaim and cultural resonance. Early indicators suggest that ‘ROOTS’ will enjoy spectacular audience growth once all non-linear viewership becomes available.”
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