Please support Game Informer. Print magazine subscriptions are less than $2 per issue
'The Last Of Us' Premiere Was HBO's Second Largest Debut Since 2010
The Last of Us, the highly anticipated TV adaptation of Naughty Dog's hit game of the same name, finally premiered Sunday and it's looking like a massive hit for HBO.
That's because The Last of Us' premiere was the second largest debut for an HBO series since 2010, beaten only by last year's House of the Dragon, the first TV spinoff from HBO's Game of Thrones series. The Last of Us drew in 4.7 million views, according to a Deadline report, coming in second to House of the Dragon's 2022 premiere which pulled in 9.986 million watchers. The Last of Us is matched by HBO's Boardwalk Empire, which premiered in 2010 to 4.81 million viewers.
Deadline writes that HBO says Sunday night viewing usually represents 20 to 40% of a given show's gross audience per episode (HBO shows typically release episodes on Sunday nights).
"We are thrilled to see fans of the series and game alike experience this iconic story in a new way, and we extend our gratitude to them for helping to make it a success," CEO and chairman of HBO and HBO Max Content Casey Bloys said, according to Deadline. "Congratulations to [showrunners Craig Mazin and Neil Druckmann, who is also a co-creator of The Last of Us], and the brilliant cast and crew who worked tirelessly to bring this show to life. We look forward to fans around the world enjoying the rest of the season."
"Our focus was simply to make the best possible adaption of this beloved story for as big an audience as we could," Druckmann and Mazin said, according to Deadline. "We are overjoyed to see how many fans, both old and new, have welcomed The Last of Us into their homes and their hearts."
While waiting for this week's episode, read our interview with Druckmann and Joel actor Pedro Pascal about how The Last of Us was changed for TV, and then read about how there are no plans for The Last of Us show to go beyond the games.
[Source: Deadline]
Products In This Article
The Last of Us Part I
I’d like to ask you to support Game Informer’s continued coverage of games with a subscription. For less than two dollars per issue, we mail you a full year of 10 print magazines, each with cover stories and preview features filled with exclusive details about the most exciting upcoming games. We profile and interview game creators. We look back on the rich history of gaming, and we celebrate what’s next.
Here on the website, we offer much of our content for free, including game reviews, daily news, videos, event coverage, and more – all with minimal ads.
We do so with a small editorial team, alongside contributing paid writers from around the world – over 65 individuals from 9 countries around the world, just in the last couple of years.
It’s not possible without support.
In a time when game makers and games coverage have faced hard struggles and layoffs, the future of this 30+ year magazine and community is at risk. Our new standalone magazine subscription is the number one way you can keep us alive – and we believe you’ll get a pretty fantastic gaming magazine in your mailbox every few weeks for your trouble.
Thank you.
