The Last of Us Season 2 Outperforms Season 1 Debut With Massive HBO Ratings Surge

MOVIE NEWS – HBO has pulled off the unthinkable: Season 2 of The Last of Us opened to even bigger numbers than the first episode of Season 1. “The Last of Us Season 2 premiere drew approximately 5.3 million US viewers, surpassing the Season 1 premiere by more than 10%.” It’s official—The Last of Us is bigger than ever.

The haunting, post-apocalyptic journey of The Last of Us has once again captivated audiences. With Joel and Ellie facing new emotional and physical challenges, Season 2 kicks off with seven episodes streaming on HBO Max. After a wait of more than two years, the series has returned, and the opening episode is already making waves.

Season 2 isn’t just living up to the hype—it’s smashing through it. The premiere, which aired on April 13, brought in a staggering 5.3 million viewers on HBO. That’s a 13% increase over the 4.7 million who tuned in for the Season 1 debut in early 2023. According to Variety, this surge was expected, given the explosive success of the first season, which was HBO’s biggest premiere since Boardwalk Empire back in 2010.

The audience for The Last of Us grew by 74% from the premiere to the finale of Season 1, and that growth clearly continues. Episode 1 of the new season immediately delves into the raw, emotional territory of The Last of Us: Part 2. Warner Bros. Discovery celebrated the premiere’s performance on social media, stating: “Season 1 averaged nearly 32 million viewers per episode — the highest for any first season in HBO Max history.”

The Last of Us Season 3 Has Been Confirmed

It’s now official: HBO Max has greenlit Season 3 of The Last of Us, and the showrunner has already teased what’s to come. Season 2’s seven episodes only cover half of the source material from Naughty Dog’s sequel, so the rest will unfold in the third season. Looking further ahead, plans are also in motion for a fourth season to bring Ellie’s arc to a definitive conclusion.

Source: 3djuegos