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Film & TV March 7, 2023
Anthony Puccio
Anthony Puccio

‘The Last of Us’ Keeps Breaking Its Own Ratings Records

Pedro Pascal and Bella Ramsey attend the Los Angeles Premiere of HBO's "The Last of Us" at Regency Village Theatre on January 09, 2023 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Axelle/Bauer-Griffin/FilmMagic)
Last Updated: July 1, 2023
The HBO hit drew 8.1 million viewers last Sunday and has seen steady viewership increases throughout its first season.

HBO‘s ‘The Last of Us’ is the King of Sunday night television.

Warner Bros. Discovery revealed on Monday that Episode 8 generated 8.1 million viewers, surpassing Episode 4’s 7.4 million total, though the company did not disclose audience numbers for episodes 5-7. Those numbers account for both linear viewership on cable and viewers on streaming app HBO Max.

The latest episode, When We Are In Need, held a 74% viewership increase from the 4.7 million who watched the series premiere. It shouldn’t come as much of a surprise. Back on Feb. 6 when the show was three episodes in, viewership had increased with each new episode. Episode 2 saw a 22% increase from Episode 1 (5.7 million) and then Episode 3 saw a 12% jump to 6.4 million.

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This is no easy feat. Some of the most popular shows on HBO, like Game of Thrones, House of the Dragon, White Lotus, and Euphoria, all failed to pull off such a consistent increase.

“I just want to say, this has never happened to me in my life,” actor Nick Offerman told Variety in praising the show. “It’s crazy.”

The Last of Us, inspired from the popular Playstation game, was a clear success from the first day it aired on Jan. 15.

  • The 4.7 million viewers from Ep. 1 made it the second-most-watched debut in over a decade, after “House of the Dragon.”
  • The 5.7 million viewers for Ep. 2 was HBO’s largest ever increase between a launch and a second episode, which led to an early Season 2 renewal.

Don’t be surprised if the The Last of Us hits a new high with the season finale on March 12 — and while they’ll be competing with the Oscars, the show raked in 7.4 million viewers despite going up against the Grammys.

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Anthony Puccio

Anthony Puccio is a former Staff Writer at Boardroom. Puccio has 10 years of experience in journalism and content creation, previously working for SB Nation, The Associated Press, New York Daily News, SNY, and Front Office Sports. In 2016, he received New York University's CCTOP scholarship and earned a bachelor's degree in Communications from St. John's University. He can be spotted a mile away thanks to his plaid suits and thick New York accent. Don't believe us? Check his Twitter @APooch.

HBOHBO MaxWarner Bros. DiscoveryThe Last of Us
About The Author
Anthony Puccio
Anthony Puccio
Anthony Puccio
Anthony Puccio is a former Staff Writer at Boardroom. Puccio has 10 years of experience in journalism and content creation, previously working for SB Nation, The Associated Press, New York Daily News, SNY, and Front Office Sports. In 2016, he received New York University's CCTOP scholarship and earned a bachelor's degree in Communications from St. John's University. He can be spotted a mile away thanks to his plaid suits and thick New York accent. Don't believe us? Check his Twitter @APooch.