That figure makes the premiere of “The Last of Us” be the second-biggest opening for an HBO show since the premiere of “Boardwalk Empire” in 2010.
The only series premiere that surpasses “The Last of Us” during that span of time, which saw the debuts of “Game of Thrones”, “True Detective”, “The Leftovers”, “Westworld”, “Silicon Valley”, “Veep”, “Succession”, “Euphoria” and “Chernobyl”, among other successes, is “House of the Dragon”which opened last winter to almost 10 million viewers . “Game of Thrones” itself garnered just 4.2 million premiere viewers in 2011.
In addition, the Sunday numbers of “The Last of Us” were nearly double the season 2 opening night returns of EuphoriaHBO’s biggest modern hit alongside “House of the Dragon”.
HBO notes that “Sunday night viewership for a series of its series typically represents between 20% and 40% of the show’s total gross viewership per episode,” so the show is expected to grow from from here.
“We are thrilled to see fans of the series and the game experience this iconic story in a new way, and we extend our gratitude to them for helping to make it a success,” he said in a statement. Casey Bloys, Chairman and CEO of HBO & HBO Max Content. “Congratulations to Craig, Neil and the brilliant cast and crew who worked tirelessly to bring this show to life. We hope fans around the world enjoy the rest of the season.”
“Our goal was simply to make the best possible adaptation of this beloved story for the widest possible audience,” the executive producers added. craig mazin Y Neil Druckman. “We are delighted to see how many fans, both old and new, have welcomed ‘The Last of Us’ into their homes and hearts.”
“The Last of Us” is a co-production with Sony Pictures Television and is executive produced by Mazin, Druckmann, Carolyn Strauss, Evan Wells, Asad Qizilbash, Carter Swan and Rose Lam. Sony Pictures Television produces in conjunction with PlayStation Productions, Word Games, The Mighty Mint and “Last of Us” video game studio Naughty Dog.
New episodes premiere Sundays at 11 p.m. on HBO and HBO Max, before the grand finale on March 12.
Source: Ambito
I am an author and journalist who has worked in the entertainment industry for over a decade. I currently work as a news editor at a major news website, and my focus is on covering the latest trends in entertainment. I also write occasional pieces for other outlets, and have authored two books about the entertainment industry.
