The Last of Us, HBO TV series has a great debut: 4.7 million viewers watched first episode on release

Deadline revealed the first numbers from the TV series of The Last of Us produced by HBO, and to say that the first episode was a success is putting it mildly.

Naughty Dog’s adaptation of the game recorded 4.7 million viewers in prime time between HBO and the HBO Max streaming platform. It is the second TV series with the best debut ever for HBO after House of the Dragon.

The Game of Thrones spinoff made history last year, debuting with 9.986 million viewers-this is the highest ratings peak for any new original series in HBO’s history. The period drama Boardwalk Empire starring Steve Buscemi came out in 2010 with 4.81 million viewers tuning in for the first episode on HBO.

“We are thrilled to see fans of the series and the play experience this iconic story in a new way and thank them for contributing to its success,” said Casey Bloys, President and CEO of HBO and HBO Max Content. “Congratulations to Craig, Neil and the brilliant cast and crew who worked tirelessly to bring this series to life. We look forward to fans around the world enjoying the rest of the season.”

“Our goal was simply to make the best possible adaptation of this beloved story for as wide an audience as possible,” said Craig Mazin and Neil Druckmann. “We are overjoyed to see how many fans, old and new, have welcomed The Last of Us into their homes and hearts.”

The first episode of The Last of Us TV series is available on Sky and Now.