You’re sitting there, snacks ready, lights dimmed, and you’re staring at a blank screen wondering exactly what time does The Last of Us start so you don't hit a spoiler minefield on Twitter. It’s a valid concern. HBO has this legacy of "appointment television" that feels like a throwback to the 90s, yet here we are in 2026, still tethered to specific release windows because if you’re five minutes late, some random person on the internet will have already posted a screenshot of the biggest death in the episode. Trust me, you don't want that.
The show generally kicks off at 9:00 PM Eastern Time (ET) on Sundays.
If you’re on the West Coast, that means 6:00 PM. It’s a global rollout, basically. HBO Max—or "Max" as they rebranded it while we weren't looking—drops the episode the exact second it starts airing on the linear cable channel. There is no lag. There is no waiting for the West Coast feed unless you’re actually watching on an old-school cable box in Los Angeles. If you’re streaming, you’re in the mix with everyone else the moment the clock strikes nine in New York.
Why the 9 PM Slot is Sacred for HBO
HBO has owned Sunday nights for decades. From The Sopranos to Game of Thrones, that 9:00 PM window is prime real estate. It’s when the most people are home, done with their weekend chores, and ready to feel slightly depressed by a post-apocalyptic cordyceps fungus.
But here’s the thing people forget: the runtime varies.
Not every episode is exactly an hour. The premiere was a massive 81-minute cinematic event. If you show up at 10:00 PM thinking you’ll catch the start of something else, you’re going to walk right into the middle of a heavy Joel and Ellie moment. The schedule is tight. You have to be ready right when it starts or risk the entire vibe being ruined by a push notification from a news app or a rogue Discord message.
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Time Zones are a Headache
Let's break this down because the math always trips someone up. If you are in the UK, you aren't watching at 9:00 PM. You're staying up until 2:00 AM on Monday morning to catch the simulcast on Sky Atlantic. It’s brutal. I’ve done it. The coffee bill alone is a tragedy.
In Australia? You’re looking at midday on Monday.
Most people just want to know what time does The Last of Us start so they can coordinate their watch parties. If you’re hosting, tell people to arrive at 8:30. Give them time to settle. Nothing is worse than that one friend who walks in at 9:05 and asks "Who’s that?" while Pedro Pascal is trying to do serious acting.
The Streaming Glitch Factor
Honestly, Max usually holds up pretty well under the pressure of millions of simultaneous viewers, but it’s not perfect. There have been times during major finales where the app just... dies.
If you’re worried about the app crashing, the best move is to load the landing page at 8:55 PM. Don’t wait until exactly 9:00:01 to open the app. The servers get hit with a tidal wave of traffic right at the top of the hour. If you’re already in, you’re usually safe.
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Also, check your internet speed. This show is shot with a lot of dark, moody cinematography. If your bandwidth is dipping and you’re getting that low-res, pixelated "muddy" look, you’re going to miss the details in the shadows—and in a show about monsters hiding in corners, that’s kind of the whole point.
Comparing the Game Release to the Show
It’s wild to think back to when the original game launched on PlayStation. There wasn't this collective "start time" culture in the same way. You bought the disc, you went home, you played. But the TV adaptation has turned The Last of Us into a communal experience.
Craig Mazin and Neil Druckmann designed these episodes to be talked about. They want you in that 9:00 PM slot. They want the watercooler talk—or the "Slack channel talk" in today’s world—to happen immediately.
What to Do If You Miss the Start Time
If you’re late, just stay off the internet. Seriously.
- Turn off your phone.
- Don’t open TikTok. The algorithm knows you like the show; it will serve you a spoiler within three scrolls.
- If you’re more than 20 minutes late, just wait and watch the whole thing from the beginning once the "Live" broadcast feel has settled into the on-demand library.
The beauty of streaming is that you can restart. But you lose that "live" feeling. There’s something special about knowing millions of people are all gasping at the same plot twist at the exact same second. It’s the last vestige of monoculture we have left.
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Key Release Details for Future Reference
While 9 PM ET is the standard, keep an eye on holiday weekends. Occasionally, HBO will move a release to a Friday to avoid competing with something like the Super Bowl. They did this with Episode 5 of the first season. If there’s a massive sporting event on a Sunday, Google the schedule again, because they might drop it early on the streaming app just to get out of the way of the big game.
Tactical Steps for the Next Episode
To make sure you never have to ask what time does The Last of Us start again, set a recurring alarm on your phone for 8:50 PM ET every Sunday. This gives you ten minutes to troubleshoot your Wi-Fi, find the remote that the dog probably sat on, and get your audio settings right.
Check your subscription status earlier in the day. There is nothing more soul-crushing than seeing the HBO logo and then getting a "Your subscription has expired" notification right as the opening credits roll. It happens to the best of us.
Lastly, if you're watching on a high-end OLED TV, make sure your room is pitch black. The show is notoriously dark—visually, not just emotionally—and any glare on the screen will make those Clickers even harder to see. You want the full 4K HDR experience if you're paying for the top-tier plan.
Prepare your space, mute your notifications, and get ready for the 9:00 PM drop. It’s consistently the most stressful and rewarding hour of television available right now.