The Last Of Us Season 2 Premiere Viewership Beats Season 1, But Still Falls Shy Of HBO's Record Holder

The Last of Us season 2 premiere viewership beats season 1, but still falls shy of HBO's record holder. Aired on April 13, the season 2 premiere catches up with what happened with Joel (Pedro Pascal) and Ellie (Bella Ramsey) in the five years after the events of the season 1 finale. The Last of Us season 2 cast also includes the return of Gabriel Luna and Rutina Wesley, alongside newcomers Isabela Merced, Young Mazino, Kaitlyn Dever, and Catherine O'Hara.

Now, the day after the season 2 premiere, its viewership numbers are in. According to Variety, The Last of Us season 2 premiere saw 5.3 million viewers, a 13% increase from the season 1 premiere in January 2023. However, it falls short of House of the Dragon, which holds the record for HBO's biggest debut with 9.99 million viewers. These figures are based on a combination of Nielsen's tracking of traditional HBO cable viewers and Warner Bros. Discovery's internal data on streaming through Max.

What The Last Of Us Season 2 Premiere Viewership Means For The Show

It Should Increase Throughout The Season

Based on the popular video game developed by Naughty Dog, The Last of Us quickly became a ratings powerhouse for HBO when it premiered in January 2023. It debuted as the network's second most-watched premiere in over a decade and saw a significant boost with its second episode, drawing 5.7 million viewers, the biggest jump ever between the first and second episodes of an HBO series. The show's popularity continued to climb nearly every week, peaking at 8.2 million viewers for the season 1 finale.

Factoring in 90 days of delayed viewing, the first season averaged an impressive 32 million viewers overall. Though only one day's worth of data is available for the season 2 premiere at this point, the second season should see a similar trajectory. As previously mentioned, the season 2 premiere spends most of its time catching audiences up with what happened in the five years after The Last of Us season 1 ending, introducing new characters like Dina (Isabela Merced), Jesse (Young Mazino), Abby (Kaitlyn Dever), and Gail (Catherine O'Hara).

Our Take On The Last Of Us Season 2 Premiere Viewership

It's Only Going To Get Bigger

The Last of Us season 2 premiere mostly serves as setup for the season's more exciting and action-packed episodes to come. Those who have played the game, The Last of Us Part II, or are familiar with its story, know that a game-changing moment is set to happen in the show at some point in season 2. Once that happens, The Last of Us season 2's viewership should explode to record-breaking new heights.