HBO is basking in the success of its new smash hit “The Last Of Us” as the show reportedly achieves record-breaking viewership for the network.
“The Last Of Us” was quickly renewed for a second season — a quick turnaround considering all it took to garner that level of attention was the release of two episodes. Fans are gobbling up the new show, which has soared to new heights with 6.4 million viewers tuning in to episode 3 on Jan. 29, according to Variety.
I was never afraid before you showed up. pic.twitter.com/aJ4BzUrcoG
— The Last of Us (@TheLastofUsHBO) January 31, 2023
The numbers are staggering, and they’re expected to continue to soar.
The stats are being assessed from two different sources: Nielsen’s measurement of linear viewers based on the Jan. 29 HBO airing, and first-party data from Warner Bros. Discovery calculating how much the episode was streamed during the night, according to Variety.
Fans are flocking at a wild pace to see the show, and the astounding viewership for “The Last Of Us” has placed the show as the second-most watched series premiere in over a decade, after the debut of “House of Dragon,” according to Variety. (RELATED: ‘The Last Of Us’ Ep3 Explains How The End Of The World Happened In 3 Days, And It’s Terrifying)
It’s so nice to have a civilized meal in such a beautiful place. #TheLastOfUs pic.twitter.com/zrbFPbVLDY
— The Last of Us (@TheLastofUsHBO) January 31, 2023
The show’s 6.4 million viewers signifies a 12% percent increase from the prior week’s 5.7 million, which was a 22% percent improvement from the first episode’s 4.7 million viewers, the outlet reported. The stats reportedly indicate how many people are watching a given episode over the course of that episode’s first night of availability.
HBO is on a roll at the moment, with four series across different genres all performing at 15 million viewers or more per episode, according to Variety. “The Last of Us,” “The White Lotus” Season 2, “House of the Dragon” and “Euphoria” Season 2 all made the list.