The Last of Us series: already historical records for the HBO show

In the space of one episode, the series The Last of Us is already sweeping all before it. The adaptation of Naughty Dog's game allows HBO to break incredible records. Americans have been watching the grand premiere of The Last of Us series in droves. In truth, it was a worldwide triumph.

The Last of Us series, a new hit for HBO

After promising trailers and intensive teasing during various interviews, the series The Last of Us is finally here. A very expected show? Yes, according to the figures shared by HBO. For the broadcast of its first episode, Sunday night in the United States, the adaptation attracted 4.7 million viewers.

That's still a far cry from House of the Dragon's 9.9 million, but it's the highest in 12 years. The only series that did so well on the network was the first episode of Boardwalk Empire with 4.81 million viewers. For the curious, The Last of Us also sent Game of Thrones back on the ropes with its 4.2 million launch, and literally crushed Euphoria, which had gathered „only“ 2.4 million for the release of its season 2.

In its release, HBO says Sunday night viewership accounts for 20-40% of „total gross viewership per episode,“ leaving room for growth in SVOD viewings.

We're thrilled to see fans of the show and the game experiencing this cult story in a new way, and we thank them for helping to make it a success. Congratulations to Craig Mazin, Neil Druckmann, the brilliant cast and crew who worked so hard to bring this series to life. We look forward to seeing fans around the world enjoy the rest of the season.

Druckmann is pleased to have accomplished his goal of „making the best possible adaptation of this beloved story for as wide an audience as possible“ with The Last of Us.

Model student sets Twitter ablaze

The Last of Us series has also been blowing up the meters on review sites like Rotten Tomatoes. For now, the score is 99% on the press side. That is the most appreciated HBO show in a long time for a premiere. On IMDB, it gets 9.5/10.

The Last of Us Rotten Tomatoes Score compared to other recent HBO Hit First Seasons

• The Last of Us – 98%
• Barry – 98%
• Chernobyl – 95%
• Peacemaker – 94%
• House of the Dragon – 93%
• Game of Thrones – 90%
• The White Lotus – 89%
• Succession – 89%
• Euphoria – 80% pic.twitter.com/UXw5Zpr9xx

— Benji-Sales (@BenjiSales) January 14, 2023

At the launch on Sunday night, the TLOU series was also number 1 on Twitter trends, in the US and around the world, even though the NFL championship finals were taking place on American soil. And to be more popular than the sport over there, you have to go there. It also climbed to #1 on the Apple TV charts in the 24 hours following its broadcast.