It appears that the entire world is in love with the Roy family, as Succession scored the highest viewership numbers in its history with last Sunday’s premiere of the final season. Around 2.3 million viewers tuned in when the episode aired across HBO Max and linear telecasts. Total viewing for Sunday night was up 62% compared to the third season’s premiere (1.4 million viewers) and 33% compared to last season’s finale (1.7 million viewers). It is also worth mentioning that season 3 episodes scored an average of 7.2 million viewers per episode, across platforms. Viewership figures are based on Nielsen and first party data
The drama created by Jesse Armstrong is coming to an end, after years of betrayals, tension, and all of the grumps and swearing Brian Cox could come up with. The actor has played Logan Roy since the show premiered in 2018, and the whole story has focused on whom the character will choose to succeed him as CEO of Waystar Royco., one of the biggest media conglomerates in the world. Unfortunately, the relationship between Logan and his children is fragile, to say the least, making him insecure about the decision. Added to that, he clearly enjoys manipulating his family in the ongoing power struggle.
After all, one of the main hooks of Succession is watching how a group of some of the wealthiest people in the world behave like middle school children who are mad at each other, only with corporate acquisitions instead of classroom mischief. But after four seasons of a brutal fight between the Roy family, it might be a good change of pace for the siblings to work together before the future of the company is decided. The acquisition of Waystar Royco. by Lukas Mattson (Alexander Skarsgård) is looming around the corner, and the fate of the family will be set in stone.
How Do the Numbers Compare to Other HBO Hits?
While we already know that the viewership numbers for the premiere of the final season of Succession were the biggest in the history of the show, comparing them to what other HBO productions scored might help with putting them in perspective. The numbers were 51% ahead of the second season premiere of White Lotus, and the episode was only beaten by shows such as House of the Dragon, Euphoria and The Last of Us. Given how those were some of the biggest television series of 2022, it is clear that audiences are thrilled to enjoy the Roys’ misadventures one last time.
The final season of Succession will continue to air on Sunday nights until May 14. In the meantime, you can check out the official trailer below:
