Deadline has reported that The Last of Us finale has drawn 8.2 million viewers across digital streaming services and HBO’s linear channel on Sunday, setting new series high once again. It managed to pull the series’ biggest same-day audience while competing with the Oscars. Last weeks penultimate episode drew 8.1M viewers, the series’ previous record holder.
This is also a 74% increase in viewership from the series’ January premiere, which has 4.7M viewers. The average audience of the first six episodes of The Last of Us is about 30.4M viewers on all platforms, according to HBO. The series premiere is nearing 40M viewers.
Since its premiere in January, The Last of Us has been trending upwards towards 8M viewers, breaking it on March 5 with the penultimate episode. Here is the viewership data for each episode:
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)*
*Includes data from Friday – 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 Last of Us is based on the PlayStation video game from Naughty Dog. The series is produced by Sony Pictures Television with Naughty Dog, PlayStation Productions, Word Games, and The Mighty Mint. It is written and executive produced by Craig Mazin and Neil Druckmann and stars Pedro Pascal (The Mandalorian, Narcos), Bella Ramsey (Becoming Elizabeth, His Dark Materials), Nick Offerman (The Founder, We’re the Millers), Storm Reid (Euphoria, A Wrinkle in Time), Melanie Lynskey (Yellowjackets, Candy), Gabriel Luna (True Detective, Terminator: Dark Fate), Anna Torv (The Newsreader, Mindhunter), Murray Bartlett (Iron Fist, The White Lotus), Nico Parker (Dumbo, Reminiscence), Lamar Johnson (The Hate You Give, Brother), Keivonn Woodard (The Last of Us, Fractal), Jeffrey Pierce (NCIS, Drop Dead Diva), Troy Baker (Avenger’s Assemble, Fullmetal Alchemist), and Ashley Johnson (Growing Pains, Blindspot).
The series follows Pascal’s Joel and Ramsey’s Ellie as they become connected through the harshness of the post-apocalyptic word they live in and have to travel across America facing brutal circumstances and ruthless killers.