It’s hard to overrstate just how big a hit “The Last of Us” was. The HBO show had 45.4 times more demand than the average title in the first quarter, making it more popular than 99.8% of other TV shows this year, according to Parrot Analytics’ data, which takes into account consumer research, streaming, downloads and social media, among other engagement.
There’s a number of explanations for the show’s success, from its high production values to the existing fan base of the video game it was based on to the continued power of HBO’s Sunday night programming.