The second season of AMC’s new zombie drama Fear the Walking Dead is off to a strong start, matching last summer’s finale with around 6.7 million viewers (Live + Same Day).

That climbed to 8.8 million for the Live + 3 ratings, including 5.7 million in the Adults 25-54 demographic.

It’s enough for AMC to stick with the spin-off series, today giving it a third season renewal — only days after the Season Two premiere. Fear will get 16 episodes next year, matching the length of a normal season of parent show The Walking Dead.

The current 13-episode season is slated to run in two batches, with seven episodes airing this spring and six more later in the year. The Walking Dead is expected to debut its seventh season in its usual spot, around the second week of October.

AMC said that Fear is now the #2 show on cable among adults 18 to 49 (5.3 million), behind only The Walking Dead.

Chris Hardwick’s Talking Dead after-show was also renewed, and will continue to air weekly following Fear the Walking Dead in Season Three.

“What Dave Erickson and Robert Kirkman have invented in Fear The Walking Dead is to be applauded,” AMC president Charlie Collier said. “Watching Los Angeles crumble through the eyes of our characters and seeing each make decisions and try to figure out the rules of their new world — it’s fresh, eerie and compelling and we’re all in for the ride.

“As Victor Strand observed, ‘The only way to survive a mad world is to embrace the madness.’ We thank the millions of fans for embracing this mad world and look forward to sailing far into the future.”

New episodes of Fear the Walking Dead continue Sunday nights at 9/8c on AMC. Keep up with the series with our Fear show guide!