The second-to-last episode of Season 1 of “The Last of Us” attracted a remarkable 8.1 million viewers on Sunday night.
Episode 8’s viewership figures, as reported by Warner Bros. Discovery, make it the most-watched episode of the series up to this point. Prior to this, Episode 4 held the title with 7.5 million viewers, but there is no information available from WBD about the audience size for Episodes 5-7.
The reported numbers suggest that the viewership includes both linear viewing on HBO’s cable platform and streaming on HBO Max during each episode’s premiere night. The 8.1 million viewers who watched “When We Are In Need” in Episode 8 resulted in a significant 74% increase in viewership from the series premiere, which had a viewership of 4.7 million people.
Based on the popular PlayStation games of the same name, “The Last of Us” became an instant hit for HBO upon its debut in January. The premiere attracted 4.7 million viewers, which was the network’s second-most-watched debut in over a decade, only behind the “Game of Thrones” prequel series “House of the Dragon.” The series then exceeded expectations, with 5.7 million viewers tuning in for the next episode, marking HBO’s largest-ever increase between a launch and a second episode. This success led to an early renewal for Season 2.
Furthermore, Episode 3, which reached a then-series high of 6.4 million viewers, was met with critical acclaim, thanks in part to the outstanding guest performances of Nick Offerman and Murray Bartlett. Their performances sparked conversations about the award’s potential for both the actors and the show as a whole.
With the show’s audience continuing to expand, Episode 9, which will be the Season 1 finale of “The Last of Us,” is expected to achieve another record-breaking viewership. Although it may face some competition from the 95th Oscars ceremony, which will air on ABC at the same time the episode premieres on HBO and HBO Max, this is unlikely to halt its progress. It is worth mentioning that Episode 4 achieved a commendable viewership of 7.4 million despite premiering alongside the Grammys.
Source: Variety
