Photo by Gene Page/AMC

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The Walking Dead returned Sunday night to a series high of 17.3 million viewers for its highly-anticipated fifth season premiere.

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According to a press release from AMC, that tally included 11 million in the coveted 18-49 demographic, once again outperforming its competition, including Sunday Night Football.

The show previously hit a high for last season's premiere with 16.1 million viewers.