The Last of Us is back¡ªand it just levelled up. Season 2 of HBO¡¯s post-apocalyptic banger dropped its premiere episode and pulled in a massive 5.3 million viewers on night one alone. Yes, that includes linear telecasts, reruns, and Max streaming¡ªbecause we are all clearly still emotionally damaged from Season 1 and came crawling back for more.
And if that number sounds big, it is because it is. That is a 13 percent jump from the series premiere in January 2023, which started its infected journey with 4.7 million viewers. Talk about a glow-up. Joel and Ellie may be struggling in the storyline, but their audience is thriving harder than ever.
Now, before we all scream Game of the Year, let us get one thing straight¡ªthe Season 2 premiere did not beat the finale of Season 1, which scored a wild 8.2 million on its opening night. So, the boss battle is not won just yet. But let us be real¡ªSeason 1¡¯s viewership built up slowly, episode by episode, until it hit peak chaos (and peak heartbreak). Season 2 is already starting strong, and with a third season locked and loaded, it is only up from here.
HBO has also spilled that The Last of Us Season 1 saw a 150 percent spike in streams on Max in the days leading up to Season 2¡¯s return. In short: fans were not messing around. They rewatched, relived the trauma, and came prepared.
For context, this viewership number leaves several recent HBO shows in the dust. The White Lotus Season 3 opened to just 2.4 million, and The Penguin needed four whole days to hit what The Last of Us hit in a single night. Still, House of the Dragon remains the ratings dragon to slay, with 7.8 million viewers on its Season 2 premiere. Big numbers. Big drama. Big dragons.
But honestly? No dragons. No lotuses. Just shrooms and heartbreak. And we are eating it up.