TV Ratings: ‘The Last of Us’ Season 2 Finale Falls Short of Premiere

The season two finale of The Last of Us arrived with a bittersweet note, drawing a smaller first-night audience compared to both the season premiere in March and its first-season finale in 2023. This poignant conclusion brought in 3.7 million viewers on HBO and Max, marking a decline from the 5.3 million who tuned in for the season premiere in April. Moreover, it fell short of the impressive 8.2 million viewers who witnessed the close of the first season in February 2023.

While some may attribute this dip in viewership for the May 25 episode to its debut during the Memorial Day weekend—a period typically characterized by lower viewing levels—HBO highlights that the second season is averaging an impressive 37 million worldwide viewers across all platforms. The term "worldwide" here carries significant weight, as season one drew 32 million cross-platform viewers in the U.S. alone (HBO measures viewing for its shows over a span of 90 days after a season premiere). Unfortunately, HBO has yet to release a U.S.-only figure for the current season, leaving fans to ponder the exact domestic impact.

Turning our attention to other ratings highlights:

Fox Sports celebrated a triumphant inaugural broadcast of the Indianapolis 500. The 109th edition of the iconic race averaged 7.05 million viewers, marking the highest viewership for the Indy 500 since 2008. It's worth noting that Nielsen's ratings did not include out-of-home viewing until 2020. This year's race saw a 40 percent increase from the previous year (when it aired on NBC) and peaked with 8.4 million viewers during the final stretch from 4:15-4:30 p.m. Sunday.
In its first year of a rights deal with IndyCar, previously aligned with NBC Sports, Fox continues to make waves in motorsport broadcasting.
The seventh season premiere of The Chi captivated audiences, delivering 2 million cross-platform viewers within its first seven days. Showtime proudly announced that it was also the most streamed premiere in the show’s history, narrowly surpassing the season 6B opener in May 2024. Remarkably, The Chi has set premiere viewership records in each of its last three installments, a rare feat for a series with such longevity.
The American Music Awards made a triumphant return after a hiatus since 2022, airing for the first time on CBS. Hosted by the captivating Jennifer Lopez, Monday’s show averaged 4.86 million viewers, leading Memorial Day broadcasts and showing a commendable 38 percent growth over the last AMAs telecast in November 2022 on ABC. The CBS broadcast also saw a 23 percent increase (from a 0.63 rating to 0.78) in the key ad sales demographic of adults aged 18-49.

Produced by Dick Clark Productions, which is owned by Penske Media Corporation—the parent company of The Hollywood Reporter—in a subsidiary joint venture between Penske Media and Eldridge, the AMAs continue to be a beacon of excellence in entertainment.