The TV adaptation of The Last of Us kicked off its second season with 5.3 million viewers in the US for its opening episode, representing 13% growth over season 1’s premiere in early 2023.

By comparison, the first episode of season 1 grabbed 4.7 million overnight viewers.

While the ratings are strong, the larger success of shows on cable network HBO and the Max streaming service is accumulative. The Last of Us season 1 amassed around 32 million viewers per episode in the US after 90 days.

According to Deadline, viewing for season 1 spiked 150% over the past week, suggesting viewers have been catching up with the show ahead of this new season.

Season 2 introduces the character of Abby (Kaitlyn Dever), and explores the fallout of a key decision made by Joel (Pedro Pascal) made at the end of the first season.

The adaptation of Naughty Dog’s PlayStation series has already been renewed for a third season, which will continue the story from The Last of Us Part II.

The Last of Us season 2 will run for 7 episodes, shorter than season 1’s 9 episodes. It’s expected that the show will run for four seasons in total.

The series releases every Sunday on Max in the US, and every Monday on NOW in the UK.