### The Penguin Breaks Viewership Records on HBO

The Penguin, HBO's new series featuring Colin Farrell as the infamous DC Comics villain, is drawing significant viewership. Its series premiere on September 19 attracted 10.4 million cross-platform viewers over 11 days. According to HBO, this impressive figure surpasses the audience growth of any other HBO series in a similar timeframe, with the sole exceptions of House of the Dragon and The Last of Us.

Initially, The Penguin was planned as a series for HBO's streaming service, Max. However, a branding shift in June brought it, along with other DC-based dramas like Lanterns and upcoming series such as Dune: Prophecy, Welcome to Derry, and Harry Potter, under the HBO originals banner. This move enabled the series to air on both Max and HBO cable channels.

The first episode of The Penguin garnered 5.3 million viewers within four days of its release. By the end of the following week, the total viewership had increased to 10.4 million, indicating that an additional 5.1 million people watched between days five and eleven. The second episode, which aired on Sunday, saw a 17 percent increase in viewership, drawing 1.6 million cross-platform viewers, which includes a couple of on-air replays.

Following The Penguin's Sunday episode was the season three finale of Industry, which managed to attract 260,000 viewers on its first night. Although this number is lower than the season’s peak of 370,000 viewers, the third season overall witnessed a one-third increase in viewership compared to its second season, averaging 1.6 million viewers per episode. HBO has already confirmed a fourth season for the series.

The blend of streaming and cable airings has likely contributed to The Penguin's success. While the on-air premiere alone drew 242,000 viewers, accounting for about 18 percent of the first night's total audience, the combination of Max and HBO's broadcasting power appears to have significantly boosted its overall viewership.