AMC's Turn improved a key ratings metric in its second week on air. Credit: Frank Ockenfels/AMC.
While The Lannisters were plotting their next move Sunday night, the spies of AMC Networks' (AMCX -1.65%) Turn were tussling with cabbages and kings. Sound boring? Don't be too sure. In the following video, Fool contributor Tim Beyers explains why AMC's Turn may be performing better than you might think.
Early signs suggests that viewers are willing to give AMC's Turn a chance despite sharing the Sundays at 9 p.m. time slot with HBO's Game of Thrones. The April 6 pilot drew 2.12 million live viewers and then another 1 million from a repeat showing at 10:30 p.m. Even better, Deadline reports that viewers stayed with AMC's Turn after tuning in.
Week 2's numbers testify to their ongoing interest. In a head-to-head contest with Game of Thrones' infamous "purple wedding" episode, Turn still managed to draw 1.87 million viewers while improving its rating in the key 18-49 demographic to 0.6 from 0.5 for the pilot. By contrast, canceled drama Low Winter Sun had a difficult time consistently drawing more than 1 million viewers and a 0.4 rating in the key demo.
And yet, while the early indicators favor a good run for Turn, Tim says we'll need to see sustained ratings success against Game of Thrones before the show can be a called a catalyst for AMC stock.
Now it's your turn to weigh in. Have you been watching AMC's Turn? Do you believe the show will fill some of the void left by Breaking Bad? Please watch the video to get the full story and then leave a comment to let us know your take, including whether you would buy, sell, or short AMC stock at current prices.
