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It’s official: The Last of Us TV show is just as contagious as we expected.
The highly anticipated post-apocalyptic drama series is the second most-watched TV premiere in HBO and HBO Max history, with 4.7 million viewers watching it last Sunday (Jan. 15) in the US.
In a press release, HBO revealed that the live-action adaptation of The Last of Us, starring Pedro Pascal and Bella Ramsey, drew twice as many viewers as the season 2 opening episode of Euphoria. The Zendaya-starring drama show averaged 19.5 million viewers per episode, so the early run of The Last of Us suggests it could be even better.
The excellent start to the show is to be expected. Based largely on Naughty Dog’s award-winning video game series of the same name, The Last of Us received critical acclaim prior to its premiere. We especially praised it in our The Last of Us review and, with 99% and 96% certified new critical and ratings on the review aggregator’s website Rotten tomatoes (opens in new tab), everyone agrees how good it really is. So it should come as no surprise to anyone that we’ve already added it to our list of the best HBO Max shows.
In a statement released alongside the show’s impressive ratings, co-showrunners and executive producers Craig Mazin and Neil Druckmann said, “Our focus was simply to make the best possible adaptation of this beloved story for the widest possible audience. We are thrilled to see how many fans, both old and new, have welcomed ‘The Last of Us’ into their homes and hearts.”
Unfortunately, no data has been provided by non-HBO sources, such as Sky in the UK, so it’s hard to determine how popular The Last of Us has been in other regions of the world – but whether those numbers compare to the numbers it raked in in the US could make The Last of Us the biggest TV hit of 2023 so far.
Analysis: dragons defeat fungi
As impressive as The Last of Us’ performance is, the ratings for the premiere paled in comparison to one of its HBO cousins, House of the Dragon.
The Game of Thrones prequel series drew nearly 10 million viewers when it debuted on HBO Max in August 2022; a resounding success that proved that HBO’s live-action take on George R. R. Martin’s literary works wasn’t dead yet. House of the Dragon continued to soar in the weeks that followed, with a high-fantasy show averaging between nine and 9.5 million subscribers per episode, including a 9.3 million draw for the Season 1 finale.
So The Last of Us has some way to go if it has any hope of beating House of the Dragon and wrestling its crown from its fiery head – and it’s unlikely to achieve that goal.
Why? Despite its extremely divisive final season, Game of Thrones is still an incredibly popular show and franchise. As a prequel to events in that TV series, House of the Dragon already had a preset TV fan base, meaning it would probably always draw viewers, even if it ended up being terrible.
The Last of Us boasts its own dedicated following. While video games are growing in popularity in mainstream culture, they’re not as ingrained in the public consciousness as TV shows. So it will take some time for The Last of Us series to increase the fan base of the franchise.
Still, if it’s any consolation, the very first episode of Game of Thrones in April 2011 drew just 2.2 million viewers in the US. it has beaten one Game of Thrones live-action series. If The Last of Us gets more episodes – and, based on its viewership, it’s nailed down to do so – expect it to give House of the Dragon a good run for its money in Season 2 and beyond.
For more HBO-focused coverage, learn how to watch Episode 2 of The Last of Us before it airs in your world region. Plus, learn why the showrunners decided to change The Last of Us timeline for the TV adaptation, and check out our Game of Thrones seasons ranked article.