‘IT: Welcome to Derry’ draws 5.7M viewers in first three days

IT: Welcome to Derry, the horror prequel based on Stephen King’s novel, drew 5.7 million U.S. viewers across HBO and HBO Max in its first three days following its October 26 premiere.
The series debut ranks as the third-biggest series premiere in HBO Max history, trailing only House of the Dragon and The Last of Us, with approximately 94 percent of viewers choosing streaming over the linear HBO broadcast.
The show outperformed its Sunday night predecessor Task, which debuted to 3.1 million viewers in September, and topped HBO Max’s global streaming charts across multiple international markets.
Set in 1962 Derry, Maine, the series expands the narrative from Andy Muschietti’s It films, with Bill Skarsgård reprising his role as Pennywise alongside a cast including Jovan Adepo, Taylour Paige, and Chris Chalk.
HBO Max released episode 2 early on Halloween night, October 31, with subsequent episodes continuing through the December 14 season finale on Sundays.

IT: Welcome to Derry Achieves Third Best HBO Max Series Premiere

The Stephen King horror prequel “IT: Welcome to Derry” has made a chilling impression on viewers, drawing 5.7 million U.S. viewers across its first three days on HBO and HBO Max. This impressive debut secures the series as the third-biggest series premiere in HBO Max history, trailing only “House of the Dragon” and “The Last of Us”.variety

Strong Halloween Momentum

The horror series launched October 26 and quickly gained traction heading into Halloween weekend. Warner Bros. Discovery reports the viewership milestone places “Welcome to Derry” among the platform’s most successful launches, with approximately 94 percent of viewers choosing to stream rather than watch the linear HBO broadcast.variety

“Welcome to Derry” outperformed its HBO Sunday night predecessor “Task,” which debuted to 3.1 million viewers in September. The series also generated significant online engagement, topping HBO Max’s global streaming charts and becoming the most popular show across multiple international markets.yahoo

Expanding the King Universe

Set in the world of Stephen King’s 1986 novel “It,” the prequel expands the narrative established by Andy Muschietti’s feature films “It” (2017) and “It Chapter Two” (2019). The series takes place in 1962, exploring an earlier cycle of Pennywise’s reign of terror in Derry, Maine.variety

Bill Skarsgård reprises his role as the terrifying clown Pennywise, joining a cast that includes Jovan Adepo, Taylour Paige, Chris Chalk, James Remar, and Stephen Rider. Series creators Andy and Barbara Muschietti, alongside showrunner Jason Fuchs, have planned a three-season story arc covering critical periods in Derry’s haunted history.hellomagazine

The series has generated additional buzz with HBO Max’s decision to release episode 2 early on Halloween night, October 31 at 12 a.m. PT/3 a.m. ET, giving horror fans a special treat for the holiday before its regular Sunday broadcast slot continues through the December 14 finale.usatoday