The People v. O.J. Simpson is Cable’s Most Watched New Show of 2016

FX Networks has announced that The People v. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story, television’s most critically-acclaimed new show of the year, concluded its 10-episode run as cable’s most-watched new series of 2016 and it ranks among the top 10 programs in all of television in delivery of Adults 18-49 and Adults 18-34.

According to The Nielsen Company, premiere-to-date, time spent viewing for The People v. O.J. Simpson equates to 143.9 million hours or 8.63 billion minutes.  And for those who are wowed by exploding watermelons, other online video phenomena and the sheer enormity of the digital metric – a “view” –  The People v. O.J. Simpson has delivered the equivalent of 259.0 billion (with a B) views AND counting!

Key highlights for The People v. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story include:

– Inclusive of linear and non-linear viewing through the first 8 episodes, the limited series is averaging 12.6 million Total Viewers weekly. It is anticipated that this average will hold and likely increase with the inclusion of the final two episodes and the accumulation of non-linear viewing in the weeks and months to follow.

– It is cable television’s highest-rated new series this year in Total Viewers and all key demos and ranks #2 in 2016 among all cable series in Total Viewers and all key demos behind only The Walking Dead (AMC).

– The People v. O.J. Simpson ranks as the most-watched new series in FX history in Adults 18-49 and Total Viewers.

– The series premiere was the most-watched original scripted series premiere in FX’s 22-year history and, to date, has delivered 17.5 million viewers (and still counting) across all linear and non-linear platforms.

– Received a score of 90 on Metacritic, the highest score of any new show on TV in 2016 and the second highest score among all TV series (new or returning) in 2016 behind only FX’s The Americans.

The People v. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story is a limited series that takes you inside the O.J. Simpson trial with a riveting look at the legal teams battling to convict or acquit the football legend of double homicide. Based on the book “The Run of His Life: The People v. O.J. Simpson” by Jeffrey Toobin, it explores the chaotic behind-the-scenes dealings and maneuvering on both sides of the court, and how a combination of prosecution overconfidence, defense shrewdness, and the LAPD’s history with the city’s African-American community gave a jury what it needed: reasonable doubt. 

From Executive Producers Ryan Murphy, Nina Jacobson, Brad Simpson, Scott Alexander, Larry Karaszewski and Brad Falchuk, The People v. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story stars John Travolta, Cuba Gooding Jr., Sarah Paulson, David Schwimmer, Courtney B. Vance, Sterling K. Brown, Nathan Lane, Kenneth Choi, Christian Clemenson and Bruce Greenwood. The limited series is produced by Fox 21 Television Studios and FX Productions.