Here's How "Empire's" Ratings Stack Up Against Other Iconic TV Shows

We looked at the 9th episode in popular TV shows to see if all the buzz about "Empire's" ratings holds up.

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Complex Original

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The biggest thing about Empire has nothing to do with Cookie's latest outburst or the demise of Lucious Lyon. Instead, what's stealing headlines is just how many people are tuned into Empire each night (and subsequent nights on DVR). These ridiculously high numbers, no matter how you feel about Lee Daniels' show, make it impossible to ignore Empire.

After only two episodes, FOX recognized the series' power over an increasingly growing audience and renewed Empire for a second season. Since then, the show has gone on to top Nielsen ratings with millions of viewers, and after DVR stats are taken into account, FOX predicts that the show will come in No. 1 for a TV drama by the end of the season.

After Empire's most recent episode aired last week, it was the top show watched in African-American households and the second most popular English language scripted show among Hispanic households. Stats from last week also reveal that African-American women between the ages of 35 and 49 tuned into Empire more than they had watched the Super Bowl. It's fair to say that Empire has all the real power its title suggests.

But even with all the hype surrounding Empire, the show still has a long way to go before becoming the biggest thing to hit television. We compared the 9th episode of Empire to the 9th episodes of the first seasons of other iconic television shows. On March 4, when Empire's 9th episode aired, 14.19 million total viewers, 5.7 million adult viewers, and 5.4 million adult viewers aged 18-49 were watching. See how those numbers stack up against other popular television favorites:

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