NEW YORK – A cliffhanger ending to its sixth season fascinated more than 14 million viewers of “The Walking Dead,” although AMC’s blockbuster hit continued to show some signs of erosion.

During the final episode on Sunday, new villain Negan killed someone with a barbed wire bat he named Lucille. Viewers will have to wait until next season to find out who he killed, however.

It was down from the 15.8 million who watched the fifth season finale on the night it aired, and didn’t approach the 17.3 million who watched the first episode of the fifth season in October 2014 – the show’s high point.

It’s not unusual for hit shows to begin to fade after they have been on the air for a couple of years. A more complete barometer of the show’s performance will come in a few weeks, when the number of people who watched it via delayed viewing are counted in.