HBO has announced that the season finale of The Last of Us reached 8.2 million viewers on its first night across HBO Max and traditional TV in the US. That's a new ratings record for first-night viewership.
HBO also confirmed that Episode 1 from January is now closing in on 40 million viewers in the US alone, while Episodes 1-6 are averaging 30.4 million viewers in total. Outside the US, The Last of Us has become HBO Max's most-watched TV show in Europe and Latin America.
Viewership for The Last of Us for its premiere grew with every episode. Episode 5 is something of an anomaly, though, as it premiered on HBO Max two days early to avoid a clash with the Super Bowl. With Friday-Sunday numbers accounted for, Episode 5 reached 11.6 million viewers for its premiere.
The Last of Us will return for a second season, but HBO has yet to announce anything specific about it. It's expected to follow the events of The Last of Us: Part II, though showrunner Craig Mazin and writer Neil Druckmann have said Season 2 won't cover the entire game's story, suggesting Season 3 is in the works.
*Early premiere, includes data from Friday to Sunday
The Last of Us Season 1 wrapped up on March 12 with a heartbreaking, violent, and crushing finale. For more, check out what The Last Of Us' Merle Dandridge had to say about the finale.
As for the game series, Naughty Dog is making a new The Last of Us multiplayer game. After that, Naughty Dog might make The Last of Us Part III, or it might not.
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