And they’re probably getting filthier. The record ratings come after A&E gave in to the off-beat clan’s demands for higher pay and amidst the growing popularity of the Duck Commander brand merchandise that made them rich in the first place.
The network said the episode took its place as the No. 1 non-fiction series telecast in cable history in total viewers as well as all key demographic groups, most notably the coveted 18 to 49 demographic.
The fourth-season premiere grew by more than one-third in total viewers over last season’s debut.
Season three premiered with 8.6 million viewers last year and ranked as the number two most watched cable show of the season, behind AMC’s The Walking Dead.
It’s a phenomenon even Jase Robertson, one of the family’s bearded second generation, thought he’d never see.