TV Ratings: ‘The X-Files’ Return Outperforms 2002 Finale With DVR

January 29, 2016 9:57am PT by Michael O'Connell

Time-shifting also gives the episode broadcast's highest-rated post-NFC Championship episode in over a decade.

Sunday's X-Files premiere has gotten even bigger.

The special, post-NFL outing of the event series is averaging 20.3 million viewers and a massive 7.8 rating among adults 18-49 now that initial live-plus-three day ratings are in. That makes it broadcast's second-biggest scripted episode of the season, shy of Empire's sophomore premiere, and the highest-rated post-NFC championship episode of a scripted series in more than a decade.

Night-of viewership for the episode was incredibly strong. It netted a 6.1 rating among adults 18-49 and 16.2 million viewers. With the time-shifting now added, the kick-off of The X-Files' six-part return actually fared better than the 2002 series finale. (That pre-DVR-era episode averaged a 6.3 rating in the key demo.)

The X-Files also added 1.1 million viewers on Hulu.

There's still the wait-and-see of how the second episode will perform. On the night it aired, it averaged a strong 3.2 rating among adults 18-49 and 9.7 million viewers. Fox execs, however, are likely anticipating bigger boosts when those live-plus-three day stats come in.