AMC believes The Walking Dead franchise could stick around for decades

Last Updated on July 30, 2021

Robert Kirkman's The Walking Dead has been around for well over a decade at this point and shows little signs of slowing down, and AMC is hopeful that the television series will enjoy a similar longevity. The Walking Dead recently kicked off its eighth season, and, although its ratings have experienced a slight downturn, the series is still remarkably popular. During a Wall Street conference call earlier today, AMC Networks CEO Josh Sapan revealed that he believes The Walking Dead franchise could continue on for decades.

The use of the word ‘franchise,’ we don’t take lightly. It’s not a sloppy or casual word. We’ve studied the best. Some have been around 30, 40, 50 years. We have a chance for a lot of life in the franchise.

Look, The Walking Dead is quite the phenomenon, but not for one instant do I believe that we'll be sitting down for season 30 in 2039. Of course, Josh Sapan wasn't implying that the current series will last quite that long, but with a mixture of spin-offs and other media, who knows. Sapan said that The Walking Dead franchise is "in great shape and the people who are managing that great shape are motivated," and added that gaming, merchandising and virtual reality represent new revenue horizons for the franchise. The first Walking Dead spin-off series, Fear the Walking Dead, may not hold a candle to its older sibling in the ratings department, but it will likely be sticking around for the foreseeable future as well as AMC has renewed it for a fourth season. With a big crossover in store next year, it's clear that AMC still have lots of faith in the franchise, but will it be around for decades to come? I suppose time will tell.

Can you see The Walking Dead franchise spanning decades? What sort of spin-offs would you like to see in the future?

The Walking Dead airs on Sundays on AMC.