The season 1 finale of THE LAST OF US set another ratings high on Sunday night, delivering 8.2 million viewers across HBO Max and linear telecasts, based on Nielsen and first party data. The series is now averaging 30.4 million viewers across its first six episodes, with the first episode approaching 40 million viewers in the U.S. Outside of the U.S., THE LAST OF US is now the most-watched show in the history of HBO Max in both Europe and Latin America.
THE LAST OF US was a hit amongst fans and critics right out of the gate. Debuting to 4.7 million viewers in January, it has shown consistent growth throughout its first season despite enhanced competition from live sports telecasts and awards broadcasts. Sunday night’s finale audience marked a 75% increase in debut night viewing compared to the series premiere.
THE LAST OF US Weekly Premiere Viewership:
- Episode 1 – 4.7 million (Jan. 15)
- Episode 2 – 5.7 million (Jan. 22)
- Episode 3 – 6.4 million (Jan. 29)
- Episode 4 – 7.5 million (Feb. 5)
- Episode 5 – 11.6 million (Feb. 10-Feb. 12)*
*Early premiere, includes data from Friday to Sunday - Episode 6 – 7.8 million (Feb. 19)
- Episode 7 – 7.7 million (Feb. 26)
- Episode 8 – 8.1 million (March 5)
- Episode 9 – 8.2 million (March 12)
The season finale of THE LAST OF US, titled “Look for the Light,” has been celebrated as “satisfying and shocking” (IGN) and “gorgeous, evocative” (TVLine). The episode was “executed with a whole lot of heart” (CNN) and set viewers up for “a thrilling second season.” (IndieWire). Rolling Stone praised the inaugural season as an “utterly fantastic debut season of television,” while The Ringer proclaimed this is “a must-see series.”
Tune-in to HBO tomorrow, March 14 at 9pm ET/PT for another chance to watch an all-access featurette detailing the daunting behind-the-scenes efforts that went into the production of the hit series THE LAST OF US. The featurette is also available as an “Extra” attached to episode 9 on HBO Max.
Fans can tune in to The Last of Us Podcast, the series’ official companion podcast where host Troy Baker, who plays Joel in the video game, sits down with series creators Craig Mazin (Emmy®-winning creator of HBO’s “Chernobyl”) and Neil Druckmann, the creator of the acclaimed video game, for a scene-by-scene deep dive of each episode. Since its premiere, the series’ companion podcast remains in the top 5 on Apple and Spotify’s TV & Film charts in the U.S. It reclaimed the #1 spot on Apple’s TV & Film chart following the season finale. Esquire has named it one of “The Best Podcasts of 2023 (So Far)” and called it “…the perfect ally for your streaming journey.”
A spotlight page for THE LAST OF US is live on HBO Max, featuring behind-the-scenes content and access to the companion podcast, as well as an interactive flashlight to help fans find their next series to watch. The spotlight page also showcases a curated selection of movies and series from 2003, the year the life-altering outbreak occurred in the new HBO series.
Additionally, the first episode of THE LAST OF US is available to stream for free on HBOMax.com.