As previously reported, 4.7 million people tuned in for the debut of HBO’s “The Last of Us” series adaptation on its premiere night via traditional linear TV and HBO Max.
With the exception of “Game of Thrones” spin-off “House of the Dragon,” which made it the largest premiere for a new HBO series in over a decade.
Turns out that number was only the beginning. A tweet from Inside HBO Max, an official source for the streaming service, reports that more opted to check in the day after.
They indicate the series premiere pulled in an even bigger 5.3 million more viewers the next day, either through the streaming service or on-demand – bringing its two-day viewership total to 10 million.
As usual with HBO, opening night numbers reflect only a fraction of the total audience of a show, with the numbers for the series premiere expected to jump even higher in the coming weeks.
Meanwhile As.com reported and Rolling Stone has semi-confirmed the runtimes for the remaining episodes. These are all reportedly without including the four minutes or so of credits on each episode.
The second episode clocks in at 53 minutes and deals with Joel, Ellie and Tess making their way through the remnants of Boston.
The third episode comes in at 76 minutes and deals with Bill’s Town along with exploring the backstory of Bill and Frank’s relationship. This is the episode that early reviews tout as the best of the series.
The fourth episode comes in at 46 minutes and likely kicks off the events of Pittsburgh. Episodes 5 & 6 both clock in at 59 minutes each. Episode 7 is 56 minutes, Episode 8 is 51 minutes, and the final episode is a short and tight 43 minutes – considerably shorter than the 81-minute runtime of the premiere.
New episodes of HBO’s “The Last of Us” air Sunday nights up through the finale on March 12th.
