What is The Walking Dead?
The Walking Dead (TWD) is a character-based horror series about a zombie apocalypse, based on Robert Kirkman’s Image Comics graphic novel of the same name. The TV series premiered in 2010 on AMC and concluded its 11th and final season in 2022.
Though there are plenty of zombies on The Walking Dead (which are never referred to as “zombies,” but “walkers”), the show is really about its living characters and their shifting relationships post-society. Famed Night of the Living Dead director George A. Romero has even referred to TWD as “a soap opera with occasional zombies” (The Big Issue, 2013).
At its ratings peak in 2014 with season 5, The Walking Dead was watched by over 17 million viewers, a staggering number for a cable TV drama. The current season, which premiered in August 2021, has averaged around 2 million weekly—the show has lost more viewers than heroes, villains, and showrunners, which is saying something.
Now that it’s over, The Walking Dead is survived by AMC’s spinoff series Fear the Walking Dead (which has aired seven seasons), anthology show Tales of the Walking Dead, and three upcoming continuation shows centered on Maggie, Negan, Daryl, Rick, and Michonne. Like the zombie apocalypse, the TWD universe is endless.
Where to watch The Walking Dead
The Walking Dead aired 177 episodes, which means newcomers have several power-binge weekends ahead of them. Fortunately, the first 10 seasons of TWD are as easy to find as a lumbering zombie pack, as is the in-progress, 24-episode final run.
The Walking Dead seasons 1–10 (2010–2021)
Seasons 1–10 of The Walking Dead are streaming on Netflix; season 11 will be added in 2023. You can also buy or rent episodes from Prime Video, iTunes, Google Play, Vudu, or YouTube. But, at $1.99 an episode, why would you? We’d obviously recommend the Netflix route.
You can also watch The Walking Dead for free on Pluto TV, through the Stories by AMC channel (135). But Pluto TV is “live,” which in this case means the content on all channels stream on a 24/7 loop that can’t be paused. The Stories by AMC channel runs blocks of TWD episodes daily, but unless you catch the beginning of the loop, you’ll just be lost in the woods.
Netflix and Pluto TV plans and pricing
| Service | Price | Video | Streams | Details |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Netflix | $6.99-$19.99/mo. | 720p, 1080p, 4K | 1-4 | View Plans for Netflix |
| Pluto TV | Free | 720p | Unlimited | View Plans for Pluto TV |
Data effective as of post date. Offers and availability may vary by location and are subject to change.
The Walking Dead season 11 (2021-2022)
The 11th and final season of The Walking Dead is available on-demand through Netflix, AMC, and its premium streamer, AMC+ (formerly AMC Premiere). AMC is on nearly every cable, satellite, and live TV streaming service (with the exception of Hulu + Live TV), so finding it is no trick.
Where to watch The Walking Dead spinoffs
AMC creates The Walking Dead spinoffs like zombies create more zombies. Right now, there are three Walking Dead spinoffs:
- Fear the Walking Dead
- The Walking Dead: World Beyond
- Tales of the Walking Dead
Here’s where to watch them live and on demand.
Where to watch The Walking Dead: World Beyond
The Walking Dead: World Beyond is available to stream on-demand through AMC+, Shudder, and Prime Video.
Where to watch Tales of the Walking Dead
The Tales of the Walking Dead anthology series is available to stream on-demand through AMC+ and Prime Video.
Best cable providers for AMC and The Walking Dead
| Provider | Price |
Channels (including AMC) |
Details |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Spectrum Our pick |
$49.99–$99.99/mo. | 125–200+ | View Plans for Spectrum |
| Xfinity | $49.99–$89.99/mo. | 140–220+ | View Plans for Xfinity |
| Cox | $25.00–$69.99/mo. | 75–140+ | View Plans for Cox |
| Optimum | $30.00–$115.00/mo. | 50–420+ | View plans |
| Sparklight | $15.00–$84.00/mo. | 27–100+ | View Plans for Sparklight |
Data effective as of post date. Offers and availability may vary by location and are subject to change.
Best satellite providers for AMC and The Walking Dead
| Provider | Price |
Channels (including AMC) |
Details |
|---|---|---|---|
|
DISH Our pick |
$79.99–$109.99/mo. | 190–290+ | View Plans for DISH |
| DIRECTV | $64.99–$154.99/mo. | 165–340+ | View Plans for DIRECTV |
Data effective as of post date. Offers and availability may vary by location and are subject to change.
Best live TV streaming providers for AMC and The Walking Dead
| Provider | Price |
Channels (including AMC) |
Details |
|---|---|---|---|
|
YouTube TV Our pick |
$72.99/mo. | 100+ | View Plans for YouTube TV |
|
Philo Cheapest |
$25.00/mo. | 70+ | View Plans for Philo |
| Sling TV | $40.00–$55.00/mo. | 30–50+ | View Plans for Sling TV |
| fuboTV | $74.99–$94.99/mo. | 140–215+ | View Plans for FuboTV |
| DIRECTV STREAM | $64.99–$154.99/mo. | 75–150+ | View Plans for DIRECTV STREAM |
Data effective as of post date. Offers and availability may vary by location and are subject to change.
AMC+ plans and pricing
| Service | Price | Video | Streams | Details |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| AMC+ | $8.99/mo. | 1080p, 4K | 5 | View Plans for AMC |
Data effective as of post date. Offers and availability may vary by location and are subject to change.
Final take: The Walking Dead will never die
Whether you’re a Walking Dead lifer, a curious newbie, or a former fan who dropped out sometime around when Negan and his barbed-wire bat “Lucille” showed up (we feel you), there’s no denying the pop-cultural impact of the series. When you can even buy Walking Dead wine glasses, you know full media saturation has been achieved.
Even though The Walking Dead has ended, there’s still plenty of zombie drama to be had from the TWD universe (we’re partial to Fear the Walking Dead—check it out on Hulu). We’re also looking forward to the sequel series with Maggie and Negan in New York (The Walking Dead: Dead City), Daryl in France, and Rick and Michonne in . . . who knows?
The Walking Dead: Dead City trailer
Where to watch The Walking Dead FAQ
Is The Walking Dead on Netflix or Amazon Prime Video?
Seasons 1–11 of The Walking Dead are available on Netflix. Spin-off series Fear the Walking Dead streams on Hulu; The Walking Dead: Worlds Beyond and Tales of the Walking Dead are on Prime Video.
Is AMC free on Amazon Prime Video?
The AMC+ app can be added to Prime Video channels for free, but a subscription to activate it costs $8.99 a month (after a seven-day free trial period). Full seasons or individual episodes of The Walking Dead can be also purchased through Amazon Prime Video.
Where can I watch all seasons of The Walking Dead for free?
You can watch seasons and episodes of The Walking Dead on Pluto TV’s live Stories by AMC channel (135), but only at certain times of the day in random blocks. Also, unlike most Pluto TV live content, The Walking Dead isn’t available in its on-demand library.
