Case Study: Fear the Walking Dead

Launching multiple seasons of Fear the Walking Dead, the companion series to the global phenomenon The Walking Dead on AMC in more than 125 countries.

Alycia Debnam-Carey and Lennie James in Fear the Walking Dead

Objective

AMC Global acquired the exclusive rights to premiere Fear the Walking Dead, the companion series to The Walking Dead – the #1 show on US television among adults – simultaneous to the debut on AMC US. Created by Robert Kirkman and Dave Erickson, the original series about the dawn of the undead apocalypse was to become one of the flagship dramas on the newly launched AMC channel available in more than 125 countries.

Tactics

Ahead of the premiere of the highly anticipated drama, exclusive press events were orchestrated in Los Angeles and at San Diego Comic-Con for more than 100 journalists from Europe, Asia and Latin America. Executive producers and series regulars participated in interviews with top tier print, online and broadcast media from across the globe resulting in unparalleled coverage for a new series launch. International reporters were invited to the sets in Mexico and the US to watch filming of subsequent seasons and interview production crew and cast for high-impact feature stories to support the premieres of later seasons.

Press junkets were organised for cast members Alycia Debnam-Carey (The 100) and Colman Domingo (Lincoln) in the UK, Spain, Argentina and Brazil with the most influential media outlets across these regions. Special press screenings in key markets throughout Latin America and Europe were also arranged, including Q&A sessions with talent and producers. Additional phone interviews with actors such as Kim Dickens (Gone Girl) and Lennie James (Snatch) were arranged throughout the run of the series.

Results

Fear the Walking Dead debuted to global critical acclaim with the UK’s Daily Telegraph citing its “expertly pitched tension and finely observed human drama” and Mexico’s Milenio calling it “one of the most intelligent productions of all time.” The drama became the #1 series premiere in US cable TV history in total viewers and all key demos when it debuted and resulted in record breaking audience numbers internationally, making AMC a top ten network for the night in key regional markets. The series also had strong social media results when the first three minutes of the pilot were released on Facebook, garnering over six million views worldwide. Global media coverage for the AMC Studios drama has continued to gain momentum across numerous seasons.