This is a particular achievement, since the season finale aired at the same time as the Oscars ceremony on Sunday, March 12. “The Last of Us” finale even achieved a better ratings score than the previous episode, which had attracted 8.1 million fans.

The series, which has also proved popular on social networks, has gone down a storm in the world of small-screen shows, making Pedro Pascal and Bella Ramsey the new stars of social media.

Its popularity has continued to grow since the very first episode of the season aired to 4.7 million viewers.

Between the first and the last episode of the series, the audience has increased by 75%, said Warner Media in a news release.

“The Last of Us” joins “House of the Dragonel ” on the podium of best debuts for HBO since “Boardwalk Empire” in 2010.

The first season of “The Last of Us” averaged 30.4 million US viewers over the first six episodes across all platforms. The first episode is close to 40 million US viewers.

The series, based on the video game of the same name, launched in January 2023 on HBO in the US. The series is set 20 years after a pandemic has decimated humanity.

It follows the journey of Joel, played by Pedro Pascal, whose mission is to get 14-year-old Ellie, played by Bella Ramsey, out of the quarantine zone. They must then travel across the US and evade infected people in order to survive.