‘The Walking Dead’ Season 5 premiere draws series ratings record

It’s getting hard to find space in Terminus, as “The Walking Dead” opened its fifth season Sunday to its biggest ratings ever.

AMC’s zombie smash delivered 17.3 million total viewers, according to Nielsen. That amounted to a 7% bump over the Season 4 premiere. That means that, for all its success, “Dead” may not have yet have peaked in terms of viewership — an unusual feat for a fifth-year show.

The season opener featured several leading characters involved in a battle with zombies and rival factions around the Terminus, an abandoned rail yard where much of the action is now set.

“The Walking Dead” was also the night’s No. 1 program among adults ages 18 to 49, with 11 million viewers in that category. That put it ahead of even NBC’s Sunday night NFL game.

AMC projects that once all the DVR viewing is counted over the next few days, “The Walking Dead” will have delivered more than 22 million total viewers.

What did you think of the premiere?

Twitter: @scottcollinsLAT