Euphoria reached new levels of popularity with its season 2 and, according to a new report, is HBO's second most-watched show ever after Game of Thrones. First airing in 2019, Euphoria season 2 recently concluded and was a massive hit for HBO. Based on an Israeli miniseries of the same name, Euphoria follows a group of high school students as they navigate sex, identity, friendship, and love. The series has been praised by many for its cinematic, movie-like production quality and its raw exploration of real-life issues.
Created, written, directed, and executive producer by Sam Levinson, Euphoria season 2 has proved significantly more controversial than the first, with reports detailing behind-the-scenes turmoil and complaints from some fans regarding the show's excessive graphic nudity. While some sing the show's praises and others criticize it, Euphoria has evidently got people talking, and was recently named the most Tweeted-about show of the decade. Euphoria's cast includes Zendaya, Sydney Sweeney, Hunter Schafer, Angus Cloud, Jacob Elordi, Maude Apatow, Alexa Demie, and Barbie Ferreira.
In a new report from Deadline, Euphoria is said to be HBO's second most-watched series ever, behind only Game of Thrones. According to HBO, Euphoria averaged 16.3 million viewers per episode across all platforms, making it the best performing show (other than Game of Thrones) on the channel since 2004. Unsurprisingly, boasting numbers like that, the show was recently renewed for season 3.
Game of Thrones ultimately ran until season 8 and, although it had a strong built-in fanbase from the start (due to the popularity of the George R. R. Martin books upon which it is based), its viewership grew dramatically as the show progressed. The Game of Thrones series finale, for example, drew in 19.3 million viewers, setting a new HBO viewership record. Game of Thrones also broke other records for HBO, of course, and remains one of the most pirated shows of all time. A spinoff series, House of the Dragon, is expected to release on HBO at some point this year and seems poised to be another hit for the network.
With Euphoria having only just concluded its season 2, there's a good chance that it will eventually surpass Game of Thrones in terms of viewership. The jump in popularity between Euphoria season 1 and 2 is significant and, if a similar increase in viewership occurs with season 3, Game of Thrones might not be holding the HBO record for much longer. That being said, Euphoria season 2 has been widely considered a step down in terms of quality by many viewers, and if season 3 continues this trend, the show may start to hemorrhage viewers. It's also worth noting that the two shows are also vastly different, and may not share many of the same viewers. However, Euphoria season 3 isn't expected to release until at least 2024, so audiences have plenty of opportunity to revisit both Game of Thrones and Euphoria on HBO Max to decide which holds the higher place in their heart for now.
Source: Deadline