'Westworld' Season 3 Ratings Go Down From Season 2's Debut

The premiere night of the third season of Westworld went on to draw 1.7 million viewers across the night (two linear plays plus digital), down from Season 2’s debut episode. Viewership though, tallied above The Outsider, Watchmen, and Succession premieres, despite competition from the Democratic debate until 10 PM.

The audience for the 9 PM telecast drew 901,000 viewers, up 24% from The Outsider‘s premiere and 13% above Watchmen, according to HBO. That compares with Westworld’s Season 2 premiere, which drew 2.1 million viewers at 9 PM, growing to nearly 3 million with same-night replay and streaming on HBO GO/NOW factored in. Episodes of Season 2 went on to average 9.2 million viewers. Season 1 averaged 13.2 million viewers.

Digital viewing is expected to grow, particularly given the current climate with coronavirus shutdowns and the fact that many viewers are staying home due to COVID-19. This past weekend, both time spent and unique users on the HBO NOW platform reached their highest levels since summer, HBO says, with preliminary data from Monday indicating continued gains into this week.