'Hatfields & McCoys' Has Massive Finale Ratings for History

There's a new record in the all-time basic cable ratings, and it belongs to History, of all channels.

The network, which has been a little less about history and a little more about aliens of late, aired its new original miniseries "Hatfields & McCoys" this week, and broke the same record twice. The show broke the record for the highest-rated non-sports program on basic cable with its premiere, then topped its own record with the finale episode.

To do this, the finale of "Hatfields & McCoys" brought in a whopping 14.3 million viewers, with a 5.1 in adults 18-49. That topped the previous record holder "Crossfire Trail," a western drama that aired on TNT back in 2001.

This could very easily mark a turning point for History, considering that this was the network's first scripted venture. Last year's project "The Kennedys" was started by History but eventually abandoned and picked up by ReelzChannel. With the success of this project, History could finally break out of its rut of WWII documentary shows and alien conspiracy programs.

Despite some star power (Bill Paxton and Kevin Costner star in the miniseries), "H&M" still came out of left field in setting this record. So how did it happen? Vulture suggests that old people are the cause, as roughly 60% of the audience for the premiere episode was above the age of 50. That's an undeniable skew toward an older audience, and considering the network, it's not a huge surprise.

Now, adults over 50 aren't necessarily the primary advertiser-targeted demographic (old folks don't buy a lot of Red Bull, smartphones or athletic shoes, apparently) so the ratings don't carry the same weight for advertisers as does, say, an episode of "Jersey Shore." But still, this could be a new niche for History, and with some retooling to entice younger viewers, it could mean good things down the road.