Downton Abbey Sets Ratings Record for PBS With 10.2 Million Viewers

Posted on January 7, 2014

10.2 million people watched the season four premiere of Downton Abbey on Sunday night. It was the highest rated drama premiere in PBS history. The number does not include delayed viewing figures. This was a 22% jumped over the season three premiere, which had 7.3 million viewers.

PBS president and CEO Paula Kerger said in a statement, "As this captivating drama continues, our audiences have been eagerly awaiting this new season to see what's next for these beloved characters. I'm so pleased that millions of viewers have returned to Downton Abbey on their local PBS stations for what has become a post-holiday tradition."

The New York Times reports that Downton Abbey was only beaten on Sunday night by the Fox NFL football game, which had 41.5 million viewers. The Mentalist came close to the Downton season four premiere with 9.9 million viewers.

Here's the season four trailer.



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