The Ratings Are In: THE OUTSIDER Was Massive Hit For HBO

HBO’s adaptation of Stephen King’s The Outsider with Ben Mendelsohn, Jason Bateman, and Cynthia Erivo hit earlier this year. And today we’ve learned the show was a massive hit for HBO.

Variety breaks it down like this:

The finale was watched by 2.2 million viewers across all platforms, which represents a whopping 1 million viewer boost from the season premiere, hinting at the incremental, word of mouth nature of its success. That 83% gain is also the largest from a debut to a finale for any HBO series in its first season. A season-high 1.37 million viewers tuned in during the finale’s initial airing.

RELATED: THE OUTSIDER SEASON 1 ON DIGITAL NOW & BLU-RAY/DVD 6/9

Through its first nine episodes, “The Outsider” is currently averaging 9 million viewers across all platforms, the best performance for a new HBO drama series since the first season of “Westworld” in 2016. For comparison, “Watchmen” drew 1.6 million viewers across all platforms to its finale. The much talked about Regina King series averaged just over 7 million viewers per episode, while season 3 of “True Detective” averaged close to 8 million.

Nice!

RELATED: STEPHEN KING SAYS HBO’S THE OUTSIDER BLEW HIS MIND

The limited series stars Ben Mendelsohn as Det. Ralph Anderson, with Jason Bateman as Terry Maitland, Cynthia Erivo as Holly Gibney, Bill Camp as Howie Gold, Mare Winningham as Jeannie Anderson, Paddy Considine as Claude Bolton, and Julianne Nicholson as Glory Maitland.

The ten-episode season is written by Richard Price, Jessie Nickson-Lopez, and Dennis Lehane. Mendelsohn serves as the show’s producer while Bateman is an executive producer alongside Richard Price, Michael Costigan, Marty Bowen, and Jack Bender (Child’s Play 3).

RELATED: WE NEED TO TALK ABOUT HOW AWESOME CYNTHIA ERIVO IS

The Outsider begins when an eleven-year-old boy’s violated corpse is found in a town park. Eyewitnesses and fingerprints point unmistakably to one of Flint City’s most popular citizens. He is Terry Maitland, Little League coach, English teacher, husband, and father of two girls. Detective Ralph Anderson, whose son Maitland once coached, orders a quick and very public arrest. Maitland has an alibi, but Anderson and the district attorney soon add DNA evidence to go with the fingerprints and witnesses. Their case seems ironclad. But as the investigation expands and horrifying answers begin to emerge we’re left to wonder, while Terry Maitland seems like a nice guy, is he wearing another face? The answer will shock you.

The Outsider: The Complete First Season on Blu-ray and DVD on June 9, 2020.  Will you be snagging a copy? Let us know below or over on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram

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