The world of The Last of Us is back—and bigger than ever. The hit HBO series, starring Pedro Pascal and Bella Ramsey, made a powerful return Sunday night with the premiere of its second season, and fans clearly showed up in full force.
The Season 2 debut pulled in over 5.3 million viewers across HBO’s traditional cable channel and its streaming platform, Max. That’s a 13% jump from when the first season premiered back in January 2023, which started with 4.7 million viewers. It’s a strong signal that not only is interest still high—it’s growing.
These numbers come from a combination of data sources, including Nielsen ratings for live TV and internal streaming data from Warner Bros. Discovery, giving a fuller picture of just how popular the show has become.
But that’s not all—viewers are also going back to revisit the story so far. In the lead-up to Season 2, rewatching of Season 1 surged by a massive 150%, proving that fans are eager to dive deeper into the post-apocalyptic saga.
When it first aired, The Last of Us quickly became a breakout hit. It had one of the biggest HBO premieres in over 10 years and continued to break records throughout its first run. Over the course of 90 days, the first season was averaging an incredible 32 million viewers per episode.
Season 2 picks up the story five years later, following Joel and Ellie as they deal with personal trauma and a world that’s become even more dangerous and unstable. HBO’s official description hints at a tense emotional journey: “Joel and Ellie’s collective past catches up to them, drawing them into conflict with each other and a world even more dangerous and unpredictable than the one they left behind.”
The cast features returning stars Pedro Pascal (Joel), Bella Ramsey (Ellie), and Gabriel Luna (Tommy), alongside new faces like Isabela Merced as Dina. The second season will consist of seven episodes, airing weekly on HBO and available for streaming on Max.
