‘Justified' Premiere Delivers For FX

Second only to series premiere of ‘The Shield' in total viewers and key demo

By Alex Weprin -- Broadcasting & Cable, 3/17/2010 6:33:09 PM

The series premiere of Justified on FX delivered strong ratings for FX March 16. The program, which has drawn much critical acclaim, brought in 4.16 million total viewers, including 2.04 million adults 18-49, and 1.42 million men 18-49.

The total viewer and men 18-49 numbers are the best for the network since the series premiere of The Shield in March 2002 (4.83 million and 1.74 million, respectively).  

Justified is the second major drama to make an impact for FX, with its last drama launch, Sons of Anarchy, becoming a bona fide hit for the network. Sons averaged 3.6 million viewers during its second season, which was up 66% from season one.