Showtime’s fall drama combo of “Homeland” and “The Affair” opened higher than last year in same-night ratings, according to Nielsen.

“Homeland,” kicking off its fifth season, averaged 1.66 million viewers — up 3% from last year’s premiere (1.64 million). This is impressive considering that AMC was a stronger presence in the 9 o’clock hour than a year ago with “Fear the Walking Dead.” For the total night, the show delivered 2.1 million viewers, up 5% from last year (1.99 million).

According to Showtime, roughly 73% of the audience for “Homeland” last season came after its premiere night. It averaged 6.14 million viewers on a weekly basis in 2014.

In its second-season premiere, “The Affair” averaged 815,000 viewers to improve sharply over last year’s debut (507,000). For the total night, the show’s 1.05 million viewers is up 30% vs. last year (809,000). Showtime made “The Affair” available to subscribers on demand and on authenticated platforms, garnering an additional 485,000 viewers.

Last season, “The Affair” averaged 4.14 million viewers.

Same-day ratings for AMC’s season finale of “Fear the Walking Dead” and HBO’s season premiere of “The Leftovers” will be available tomorrow.