Los Angeles, California – The highly anticipated return of The Last of Us drew in a larger audience for its season two premiere than its debut two years ago. The HBO drama garnered 5.3 million viewers across various platforms on Sunday night, including on-air broadcasts, replays, and streaming on HBO Max.
Compared to the series premiere in January 2023, which initially attracted 4.7 million viewers, this season two premiere marked a 13 percent increase in viewership. The first season of the show saw a steady increase in viewership over its nine episodes, reaching a peak of 8.2 million viewers for its finale. On average, the first season captured over 32 million viewers per episode within 90 days of its premiere.
The recent premiere of season two also outperformed other recent HBO premieres, such as the third season of The White Lotus, which debuted with 2.4 million viewers in February. The Last of Us surpassed The Penguin in viewership numbers within just four days of its premiere. Additionally, the second season of House of the Dragon set the bar high for recent HBO premieres with 7.8 million first-night viewers in June 2024.
Leading up to the season two premiere, viewership for season one of The Last of Us on HBO Max experienced a significant spike. HBO reported a 150 percent increase in viewership on the streaming platform in the week before the season two premiere, showcasing the ongoing popularity of the series.
Based on the success of the show, HBO has already ordered a third season of The Last of Us, which is adapted from the best-selling video game. Season two, and potentially season three, focuses on the storyline from The Last of Us Part II, promising fans more intense and captivating storytelling in the future.