The third season finale of “Duck Dynasty” set A&E records on Wednesday (April 24) night and, once again, cemented its position as cable’s top zombie-free series.
“Duck Dynasty” drew a whopping 9.6 million viewers on Wednesday night. That’s an A&E record. The finale also set A&E highs with 5.6 million viewers among adults 25-54, 5.5 million viewers among adults 18-49 and 2.6 million viewers among adults 18-34.
Want a little more perspective? The finale outdrew every network program for the night with the exception of “American Idol” and “Survivor.” And while “American Idol” was network TV’s top Wednesday program with a 3.2 rating among adults 18-49, “Duck Dynasty” did a 4.3 rating in the key demographic, 34 percent above “Idol.”
For the season, “Duck Dynasty” has averaged 8.4 million viewers, a 95 percent bump over last season. The series is up by 92 percent among adults 18-49 with 4.8 million viewers. A&E boasts “Duck Dynasty” is cable’s top non-fiction series and No. 2 overall, behind only “Walking Dead.”
Production on the fourth season will begin soon and new episodes will return later in 2013.