The show had the second-biggest HBO premiere in the last decade.

This past weekend saw the HBO Max premiere of The Last of Us, a streaming series based on the video game of the same name starring Pedro Pascal and Bella Ramsey as Joel and Ellie, a pair of survivors journeying across a ruined and overgrown United States 20 years after most of civilization has collapsed due to a viral plague.

The show was another major hit for HBO, drawing in 4.7 million viewers for its premiere on both HBO Max and the linear HBO TV network. This is the second-largest show premiere HBO has had since the premiere of Boardwalk Empire in 2010, eclipsed only by last year’s House of the Dragon, which drew 9.986 million viewers.

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

‘The Last Of Us’ Marks HBO’s Second-Largest Debut In More Than A Decade https://t.co/71FsYTdyUD pic.twitter.com/goipSwu50Y

— Forbes (@Forbes) January 17, 2023

“We are thrilled to see fans of the series and game alike experience this iconic story in a new way, and we extend our gratitude to them for helping to make it a success,” said Casey Bloys, Chairman and CEO, HBO & HBO Max Content. “Congratulations to Craig, Neil and the brilliant cast and crew who worked tirelessly to bring this show to life. We look forward to fans around the world enjoying the rest of the season.”