The first episode of the prequel series saw a 75% jump in viewers the next day, reaching 2.1 million people on HBO and Max.
The new series “Dune: Prophecy” had a slow start, with 1.2 million people watching the first episode on HBO and Max on Sunday, according to Warner Bros. Discovery. Its audience was close to what “The Penguin” got, which had 1.4 million viewers for its first episode on a Thursday. Later, “The Penguin,” a spinoff of “The Batman,” switched to airing on Sundays.
The first episode of “Dune: Prophecy” got 75% more viewers the day after it came out, bringing the total to 2.1 million people watching on all platforms.
Advertisement “The Penguin” finished strong, with 2.1 million people watching its final episode, the most for the series. The show, which ended a week before “Dune: Prophecy” took over HBO’s Sunday night slot, had its first episode reach 18 million viewers in the U.S. since it premiered on September 19.
See More: ‘The Penguin’ Finale Gathers 2.1 Million Viewers, 50% Increase From Premiere
The first episode of “Dune: Prophecy” didn’t do as well as “The Last of Us,” which had 4.7 million viewers on HBO and Max in January 2023. Back then, “The Last of Us” was HBO’s second-biggest debut since “Boardwalk Empire” came out in 2010, with only “House of the Dragon” doing better.
Set 10,000 years before Paul Atreides rises to power, the “Dune” prequel tells the story of two Harkonnen sisters. They fight against dangerous forces to protect humanity’s future and create the group that will later be known as the Bene Gesserit.
“Dune: Prophecy” features a big cast, including Emily Watson, Olivia Williams, Travis Fimmel, Jodhi May, and Mark Strong. Other stars include Sarah-Sofie Boussnina, Josh Heuston, Chloe Lea, Jade Anouka, Faoileann Cunningham, Edward Davis, Aoife Hinds, Chris Mason, Shalom Brune-Franklin, Camilla Beeput, Jihae, Tabu, Charithra Chandran, Jessica Barden, Emma Canning, and Yerin Ha.
New episodes of the six-part season come out every Sunday at 9:00 p.m. ET/PT on HBO and Max.
Source: The Wrap