Season 2 of ‘The Last of Us’ Kicks Off with Strong Ratings as Anticipation Builds for Series Premiere

Liam James1 week agoLast Updated: 14 April 2025

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The return of The Last of Us attracted a larger audience than the show’s series premiere two years ago, although it did not quite match the viewership at the end of season one.

The premiere of season two of the HBO drama drew 5.3 million viewers across various platforms on Sunday night, which includes the initial airing, replays, and streaming on Max.

This figure represents a 13 percent increase from the series premiere in January 2023, which garnered 4.7 million viewers on its first night. The audience for season one grew steadily throughout its nine episodes, reaching a peak of 8.2 million first-night viewers for its finale. Overall, the season averaged more than 32 million viewers per episode, as HBO measures series ratings for 90 days following a season premiere.

Sunday’s viewership also stands out against other recent HBO premieres. It more than doubled the audience for the season three premiere of The White Lotus, which attracted 2.4 million viewers in February. It took four days for the premiere of The Penguin to achieve the same viewership as The Last of Us did on Sunday. Season two of House of the Dragon holds the record for recent HBO season premieres, with 7.8 million first-night viewers in June 2024.

HBO also reported a significant increase in viewership for season one of The Last of Us leading up to the season two premiere. Viewing on Max surged by 150 percent last week compared to the previous seven days, though HBO did not provide specific figures, as is common with streaming statistics.

A third season of the show has already been confirmed by HBO, which is based on the acclaimed video game. Season two, and likely season three, will adapt The Last of Us Part II.

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