Rome wasn't built in a day -- but Empire basically was.
The soapy family drama on Fox aired Jan. 7 and has since dominated the TV landscape. The series follows a troubled music mogul, his squabbling sons and his scene-stealing ex-wife. The plot has completely shattered previous records set by other shows. On its first night, it became Fox's highest-rated series debut in three years, with 9.8 million viewers.
Since then, viewership has increased -- a feat that almost never occurs in the TV world. A series usually cools off after a hot debut, but Empire is burning up. For the past seven weeks, ratings have grown by the millions.
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Empire is also making headlines for starring a predominantly black cast, shaking up television's lack of diversity. Along with record-breaking shows like Scandal and How to Get Away with Murder, Empire is proof that a diverse cast can draw in an audience -- an insanely humongous audience. It's currently the No. 1 show among African-American and English-speaking Hispanic adults aged 18-49, according to Fox data.
For a real scope at just how successful the show has been, here's a look at Empire by the (astonishing) numbers.
