HBO has released official numbers revealing that The Last of Us Season 2 has lost over half its audience.
The Season 2 premiere brought in 5.3 million viewers across platforms. But the finale, released Sunday, was only watched by 3.7 million, a 30% drop from the premiere and a staggering 55% drop compared to the Season 1 finale, which drew 8.2 million.
HBO Blames Memorial Day Weekend for Viewership Drop
HBO is trying to downplay the collapse, blaming the Memorial Day weekend and claiming the numbers will increase with delayed viewing, as they state in the official press release:
“The audience will grow significantly due to low viewing levels over the Memorial Day holiday weekend.”
Viewers Tuning Out as Season 2 Loses Momentum
Even with that excuse, the sharp decline in viewership throughout Season 2 can’t be ignored. Rather than building momentum like Season 1, the latest season lost steam episode after episode.
It raises real questions about fan interest, especially after controversial story developments early in the season. Did the major spoiler in Episode 2 turn fans off for good?
We’ll know more soon, as the upcoming Nielsen ratings will cover the week Episode 3 aired. If there’s a major drop, it could confirm what many already suspect, that audiences are tuning out.
Live TV Data Shows Sharp Drop from Season 1 Growth
We get more insights into the Live + Same Day data released by ProgrammingInsider.com, which shows how Season 1 grew, with the viewership basically doubling, which carried over to Season 2.
However, the Season 2 numbers drop considerably compared to the last four episodes of Season 1 and the premiere of Season 2.
The popularity and success of Season 1 that led to Season 2 also explains why Season 2 amasses more average viewers over time than Season 1, but again, we see the viewership is on the decline, unlike the first season.
Season 1: Live + Same Day ratings
- Episode 1: 0.588
- Episode 2: 0.633
- Episode 3: 0.747
- Episode 4: 0.991
- Episode 5: 0.382
- Episode 6: 0.841
- Episode 7: 1.083
- Episode 8: 1.039
- Episode 9: 1.040
Season 2: Live + Same Day ratings
- Episode 1: 0.938
- Episode 2: 0.643
- Episode 3: 0.768
- Episode 4: 0.774
- Episode 5: 0.652
- Episode 6: 0.701
- Episode 7: TBD
