Season 3 opened with fewer cable viewers despite earning stronger critical reactions
Summary
– The Dead City season 3 premiere reportedly drew approximately 300,000 cable viewers
– Early reviews show a major critical improvement compared to season 2
– Streaming performance will likely play a significant role in the show’s future
The Walking Dead: Dead City returned for its third season on July 26 with lower traditional television ratings but a stronger response from critics.
The season premiere, titled “Trillium,” reportedly averaged approximately 300,000 viewers during its live AMC broadcast.
That represents a decline from the season 2 premiere, which drew 378,000 viewers in May 2025.
The series has experienced a significant reduction in its cable audience since its June 2023 premiere, when it drew 704,000 viewers.
However, traditional ratings do not account for viewers who watch through AMC+, on-demand services, or other streaming platforms.
AMC has frequently made episodes available through AMC+ ahead of their television broadcasts, allowing dedicated viewers to watch without contributing to the live cable numbers.
The network has not publicly released complete streaming figures for the third-season premiere.
Despite the declining linear audience, Dead City has reportedly experienced a considerable improvement in its critical reception.
Season 2 received a 56 percent approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes, while early reviews for season 3 produced a perfect score from a much smaller group of critics.
The improvement follows a major behind-the-scenes creative change.
Seth Hoffman replaced Eli Jorné as showrunner after previously working on the original Walking Dead series.
Season 3 moves Maggie and Negan beyond the repetitive conflict that defined much of the previous two seasons.
Instead, the former enemies must work together against larger threats while becoming involved in efforts to rebuild civilization in Manhattan.
The season also introduces new characters played by Jimmi Simpson, Aimee Garcia, and Raúl Castillo.
Early audience scores indicate that remaining viewers have responded positively to the new direction, although overall engagement is considerably lower than during the first season.
Dead City now appears to have a smaller but dedicated audience following Maggie and Negan’s story.
AMC has not announced a fourth season, making the show’s undisclosed streaming performance an important factor in any renewal decision.
