'X-Files' Relaunch Continues To Yield Positive Results For Fox

As it turns out, "the truth" is still out there; and so are millions of viewers who clearly missed the iconic Twenty-First Century Fox Inc FOXA series that made the phrase popular.

Looking At The Numbers

Originally, the first episode of the "X-Files" reboot debuted to a strong 18–49 demo rating of 6.1 and over 16 million viewers. As expected, the show's +3 numbers showed a bigger audience tuned in than first reported. The new data shows a 25 percent spike in viewers, which pushed the premiere to just over 20 million viewers. The demo rating also saw a significant jump growing to a 7.8 rating.

Related Link: Debut Ratings Of "X-Files" And "Lucifer" Give Fox A Powerful Monday Night Lineup

With the new +3 data, it places the "X-Files" premiere as the highest rated post-NFL championship game since CBS' "Numb3rs" in 2005. The episode also jumps into the top three in terms of best performing premieres for this season, behind "The Walking Dead" and "Empire."

Breaking down the numbers even further shows that the increased viewers were fairly evenly divided among VOD and DVR playback. Hulu and FoxNox viewings goosed the total numbers north of 21 million as combined the episode was streamed by 1.1 million additional viewers. By comparison, the only series to do better this season was "Empire," which saw a 1.5 million viewers increase from these avenues.

Counting strictly live+3 numbers, "X-Files" now becomes the most watched series in the demo and the second most watched in total viewers (behind "NCIS") for the past week, not counting sports programming.

Continuous Appeal

Perhaps more telling and fascinating to investors is the continued appeal and draw of the franchise, which went off the air in 2002. The series finale was watched by 13.2 million viewers, meaning the series picked up right where it left off in the numbers. To date, the highest episode remains the 1997 episode "Leonard Betts," which followed Super Bowl XXXI and pulled in 29.1 million viewers.

While the finale of this six-episode "event" likely won't hit that number when it airs February 22, it likely will still go out on top and prime the pump for another return down the road.

With the success of this relaunch paired with the well received "24: Live Another Day" in 2014, the network has a found reviving its classic series has been good for its programming business model.

Next up will be "Prison Break" which is expected to begin production some time prior to the summer.