AMC’s “The Walking Dead” returned for its midseason Season 4 premiere on Sunday, drawing 15.8 million total viewers.

The premiere drew 10.4 million viewers in the key 18-49 demographic.

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Compared to its midseason finale, the “Walking Dead” midseason premiere performed favorably, easily outscoring the 12.1 million total viewers that the finale grabbed. However, the midseason opener fell just shy of the season premiere in October, which had 16.1 million total viewers.

(In a direct comparison to the Season 3 midseason premiere, Sunday’s premiere came out on top, drawing 3.5 million more total viewers than the Season 3 midseason opener.)

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Sunday’s performance was particularly impressive, given the competition from the Winter Olympics in Sochi and CBS’s tribute to the Beatles on the 50th anniversary of the group’s “Ed Sullivan Show” premiere.

“With a number of high-profile choices on television last night, for ‘The Walking Dead’ to deliver record ratings is remarkable. Thanks to the fans, who have been so supportive of this show in so many ways. We share your passion for this world,” AMC president Charlie Collier said. “Thanks also to the terrific team of writers, starting with Scott Gimple and Robert Kirkman, who with our outstanding executive producers, cast and crew pour their hearts into this series, always with the fans in mind. I speak for everyone at AMC in expressing my sincere appreciation and our shared excitement for the journey ahead. Chocolate pudding for all!”

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At 10 p.m., the “Walking Dead” companion series “Talking Dead” grabbed 5.9 million total viewers, making it the most-watched premiere in the series’ history, with 3.9 million of them in the 18-49 demo.