The Last of Us is off to a strong start in season two. The post-apocalyptic HBO drama drew 5.3 million viewers across HBO and Max on Sunday night, according to Warner Bros. Discovery. This show beats the numbers from its series premiere two years ago.
That total includes linear airings, replays, and streaming on Max. The figure represents a 13% jump from its season one premiere in January 2023, which brought in 4.7 million viewers on its first night.
Not as big as the finale, but stronger than most HBO premieres
While the new season opened bigger than the show’s debut, it didn’t match the 8.2 million that watched the season one finale on night one. Still, the viewership puts The Last of Us ahead of several other recent HBO premieres.
It outpaced The White Lotus season 3 (2.4 million viewers on premiere night) and surpassed The Penguin, which took four days to reach the same mark. Only House of the Dragon season two has recently opened bigger, drawing 7.8 million viewers in June 2024.
Season one views spike ahead of premiere
In the days leading up to season two’s debut, The Last of Us saw a significant boost in viewership on Max. HBO reported that viewing of season one rose 150% week-over-week, though it did not share exact streaming numbers.
The show, based on the best-selling PlayStation video game, quickly became one of HBO’s major successes following its launch in early 2023. It averaged over 32 million total viewers per episode during its first season, with HBO tracking cumulative viewership for 90 days after each release.
Season 3 is already on the way
With season two now underway, HBO has already confirmed a third season is in development. Season two and likely season three will adapt the events of The Last of Us Part II, the game’s darker and more divisive sequel.
The Last of Us airs Sunday nights on HBO and streams on Max.
