It’s safe to sayThe Last of Usseries premiere went pretty well, but this video game adaptation exceeded expectations. HBO disclosed that the first episode did much better than any other new show since 2010, except forHouse of the Dragon.
The Last of Usgot off to a great start not only in terms of viewership but also in how it marvelled fans and critics alike, who were happy to see this HBO production capture the game’s setting in such detail. Although season one still has a long way to go in its 9-episode run, which covers the entirety ofthe firstLast of Usgame, the network’s data shows plenty of reasons to be optimistic about its performance for the coming weeks.
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According to WarnerMedia,The Last of Us' combined viewership in both HBO Max and traditional cable totalled 4.7 million viewers in the United States. The network notes that Sunday night ratings usually account for roughly 20-40% of a series' total audience per episode. In contrast,House of the Dragon’s premiere drew 9.98 million viewers on both platforms, HBO’s record for any new show.The Last of Uscame close to a milestoneset byBoardwalk Empirein 2010 at 4.81 million viewers when streaming wasn’t around.
HBO’s Chief Content Officer, Casey Bloys, shared his excitement by sending “Congratulations to Craig, Neil and the brilliant cast and crew who worked tirelessly to bring this show to life.” Bloys also posted severalThe Last of Usreviewsthat praised the first entry. Similarly, franchise mastermind Neil Druckmann and showrunner Craig Mazin (Chernobyl) echoed that feeling. “Our focus was simply to make the best possible adaptation of this beloved story for as big an audience as we could," they said.
Naturally,House of the Dragonowes a big part of its appeal to it being aGame of Thronesspinoff, and even ifThe Last of Ushas come out at a relatively quiet time for television releases, that shouldn’t make its numbers less impressive. The show’s first episode left such a good impression some are already callingThe Last of Usseries one of the best video game adaptations ever produced.
Combining the PS3 and PS4 editions,The Last of Ushas sold close to 20 million copies worldwide, figures that are likely to grow considering the latest PlayStation 5 remake and its impending PC release. Despite somechanges between the game and HBO’sThe Last of Us, it’s clear that the series' audience extends far beyond those who played the games.
The Last of Usdebuts new episodes on Sundays on HBO and HBO Max.
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