HBO’s “The White Lotus” has built one of the largest audiences of any HBO series, with its third season ending on Sunday. The show, created by Mike White, has developed a much bigger audience than its comparable rival “Succession.”
According to internal HBO statistics and Nielsen research, the final viewership totals for the season are poised to catapult “The White Lotus” into the upper tier of HBO’s most popular shows.
In contrast to its first two seasons, which drew approximately nine million and 15 million viewers respectively, the third season has attracted over 18 million viewers, with some estimates suggesting a total of 20 million. This would put it in line with the second season of “Euphoria,” another HBO hit.
The show’s widespread appeal extends beyond its initial coastal city fanbase, with an audience spread across different regions. Casey Bloys, chairman of HBO and Max content, attributes this to the changing cast and location each season, as well as weekly episode releases.
These strategies have generated significant interest among viewers, resulting in a week-to-week guessing game surrounding the whodunit mystery. The show’s creator, Mike White, has mastered this approach, bringing his audience through with an exciting and mysterious storyline.
While “The White Lotus” still lags behind other streaming services like Netflix and Amazon Prime Video in terms of overall subscribers, it has captured a rare phenomenon in the binge-it-all-at-once streaming age: an engaging whodunit that keeps viewers guessing week to week.
Source: https://www.nytimes.com/2025/04/06/business/media/white-lotus-ratings.html