Last month, we reported that Vikings was being renewed for a fourth season on History. Now, the cable channel has made the renewal official. Production begins this spring in Ireland.

The current third season has been averaging an 0.8 rating in the 18-49 demographic with 2.57 million viewers. Season-to-season, that’s down by 25% and 41% respectively.

Here’s the press release about the renewal:

HISTORY(R) GREENLIGHTS FOURTH SEASON OF HIT DRAMA SERIES “VIKINGS”

#1 Cable Series Thursday Nights in Live +3

New York, New York, March 26, 2015 – HISTORY(R) has picked up a fourth season of its hit scripted series VIKINGS, it was announced today by Dirk Hoogstra, EVP and General Manager, HISTORY & H2. VIKINGS is created and written by Michael Hirst (The Tudors, Elizabeth) and five new episodes remain in the current season airing Thursdays at 10 p.m. with the season finale slated for Thursday, April 23 at 10 p.m.

On a Live +3 basis for the first five episodes in season three, VIKINGS is averaging 4.3 million total viewers, 2.2 million Adults 25-54 and 2.0 million Adults 18-49. For five weeks in a row, VIKINGS ranks as the number one cable series on Thursday nights in all key demos in Live +3 delivery.

Production on season four will begin this spring in Ireland.

“VIKINGS has raided the hearts of both audiences and critics, establishing itself as one of the most compelling, visually stunning dramas on television,” said Hoogstra. “We are so proud of our immensely talented cast and crew led by Michael Hirst, whose intriguing storylines and pivotal arcs have the perfect balance of scope, smarts and bloodshed to keep our loyal fans watching and wanting more.”

MGM Television brought the series to the network and brings VIKINGS to the global audience, serving as the worldwide distributor outside of Ireland and Canada.

“VIKINGS is a tremendous success worldwide thanks to the visionary talents of Michael Hirst, the entire creative team and our partners at HISTORY,” said Roma Khanna, President, Television Group and Digital, MGM. “We look forward to entertaining audiences worldwide with the next epic season.”

VIKINGS tells the extraordinary tales of the lives and epic adventures of these warriors and portrays life in the Dark Ages through the eyes of Viking society. The gripping family saga of Ragnar (Travis Fimmel), Rollo (Clive Standen), Lagertha (Katheryn Winnick) and Bjorn (Alexander Ludwig) continues in season three as alliances and loyal friendships are questioned, faith is catechized and relationships are strained.

Created and written by Michael Hirst – one of the premier historical story-tellers in the industry (Academy-Award winning film Elizabeth; and the Emmy and Golden Globe nominated series The Tudors), Michael serves as Executive Producer along with Morgan O’Sullivan of World 2000 (The Count of Monte Cristo; The Tudors), Sheila Hockin (The Tudors; The Borgias), John Weber of Take 5 Productions (The Tudors; The Borgias), Sherry Marsh, Alan Gasmer and James Flynn (The Tudors; The Borgias). Dirk Hoogstra and Julian P. Hobbs are the Executives in Charge of Production for HISTORY.

VIKINGS is an international Irish/Canadian co-production being co-produced by World 2000 and Take 5 Productions. HISTORY broadcasts domestically in the U.S. VIKINGS is produced in association with Shaw Media, and the series also airs on HISTORY in Canada.

About HISTORY(R)

HISTORY(R), now reaching more than 96 million homes, is the leading destination for award-winning original series and specials that connect viewers with history in an informative, immersive and entertaining manner across all platforms. The network’s all-original programming slate, including scripted event programming, features a roster of hit series including American Pickers(R), American Restoration(TM), Ax Men(TM), Counting Cars(TM), Pawn Stars(R) and Swamp People(R) as well as HISTORY(R)’s first scripted series Vikings, and epic mini-series and special programming such as The Bible, Houdini, Sons of Liberty, The Men Who Built America and the Emmy(R) Award-winning Hatfields & McCoys, Gettysburg, Vietnam in HD, America The Story of Us(R) and 102 Minutes That Changed America. The HISTORY(R) website is the leading online resource for all things history, and in 2011, the United States Library of Congress selected HISTORY(R)’s Civil War 150 site for inclusion in the historic collection of Internet materials related to the American Civil War sesquicentennial. www.history.com.

What do you think? Do you plan to watch the new season?