The Last of Us becomes HBO's second-biggest premiere since 2010

The first episode of the highly-awaited post-apocalyptic drama/thriller The Last of Us has bagged a whopping 4.7 million US viewers across both HBO and HBO Max. Only House of the Dragon's pilot episode is ahead of it, with 9.986 million viewers, which is more than double of it.

The platform notes that Sunday night's viewership for an HBO series typically represents 20%-40% of the show’s total gross audience per episode, so viewership is only expected to surge going forward.

The Last of Us' first episode aired worldwide on January 15, 2023, and has been getting praised for its captivating story, casting, and accuracy with the game.

Based on the 2013 hit PlayStation game, the adapted show stars Pedro Pascal as Joel and Bella Ramsey as Ellie. While both are leading the series, Gabriel Luna, Anna Torv, Nico Parker, John Hannah, Josh Brener, Christopher Heyerdahl, Brendan Fletcher, Murray Bartlett, Nick Offerman, Merle Dandridge, and several others feature in crucial supporting roles.

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The premiere of The Last of Us was only second to House of the Dragon's pilot episode viewership

The premiere episode of House of the Dragon, which aired on August 21, 2022, was titled The Heirs of the Dragon. It scored nearly 10 million viewers in the United States of America, making it the largest premiere in HBO history ever. It was directed by the legendary Miguel Sapochnik and written by Ryan Condal.

The second-biggest premiere position was previously held by Boardwalk Empire, which premiered in 2010, way before HBO Max, HBO Go, and HBO Now were launched.

Game of Thrones, True Detective, The Leftovers, Westworld, Silicon Valley, Veep, Succession, Euphoria, and Chornobyl were some other hits launched during this time frame, but none of them came close to the pilot episode of the 2023 post-apocalyptic thriller, which was titled When You're Lost in the Darkness.

A delighted Casey Bloys, the chairman and CEO of HBO & HBO Max Content, commented on this achievement by stating:

"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"

He continued:

"Congratulations to Craig, Neil, 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."

Executive producers Craig Mazin and Neil Druckmann said they were overjoyed by how fans have received the show and their only goal is to do justice to the beloved game by creating a riveting series. Eight episodes are still yet to air, with the finale episode scheduled to air on March 12.

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What is The Last of Us all about?

The Last of Us is a gut-wrenching post-apocalyptic drama/thriller, tailor-made for fans of horror, mystery, and video game genres. The show starts in 2003, when a terrible fungal infection causes a global pandemic, marking the doom of humanity. 20 years later, only a handful are surviving when Joel, a goon who lives in the Boston quarantine zone, meets a 14-year-old Ellie.

The latter is immune to infection and is the only hope to revive mankind from the claws of a mass fungal infection called 'Cordyceps,' which makes humans animal-like.

The Last of Us is a co-production of Sony Pictures Television and is executive produced by Mazin, Druckmann, Carolyn Strauss, Evan Wells, Asad Qizilbash, Carter Swan, and Rose Lam.

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Episode 2 of The Last of Us, titled Infected, will be available on Sunday, January 22, at 9 pm ET, on HBO and HBO Max.