The terrifying new prequel series “IT: Welcome to Derry“ has floated to the top of the streaming charts, pulling in a massive 5.7 million viewers in the U.S. within just the first three days of its release. This impressive start has earned it the title of the third most-watched series premiere in the history of HBO Max, a spot only held by the giant launches of “House of the Dragon” and “The Last of Us.” The series, which serves as a prequel to the popular “IT” movies, debuted on October 26, 2025.
A Record-Breaking Debut
The announced viewership number of 5.7 million is a combination of people who watched on HBO’s traditional television channel and those who streamed it on HBO Max. This measurement covers the initial three-day period from Sunday, October 26, through Wednesday, October 29.
This strong performance places “Welcome to Derry” firmly in third place for HBO Max series premieres. For comparison, the series that previously held its Sunday night time slot, “Task,” premiered to 3.1 million viewers in September. The data shows that the vast majority of viewers, about 94 percent, chose to watch the show via streaming on HBO Max or through on-air replays, rather than the initial live broadcast.
The Story Behind the Scares
“IT: Welcome to Derry” is based on Stephen King’s classic 1986 horror novel and expands the story from Andy Muschietti’s feature films, 2017’s “It” and 2019’s “It Chapter Two.” The series is set in the early 1960s in the cursed town of Derry, Maine, decades before the events of the two movies. It explores one of the earlier cycles in which the child-hunting, shape-shifting entity Pennywise awakens to wreak havoc.
The show was developed for television by Andy Muschietti, his sister Barbara Muschietti, and Jason Fuchs. Andy Muschietti also directed multiple episodes of the series. The cast includes Jovan Adepo, Taylour Paige, and Chris Chalk, with Bill Skarsgård famously returning to his role as the frightening clown Pennywise. Skarsgård also serves as an executive producer on the project.
The creators intentionally designed the show to offer new surprises, even for those familiar with the movies. As the Muschiettis explained, they wanted to avoid making the story too familiar and aimed to “create a subversion to get people excited.”
A Halloween Treat for Fans
Following its successful premiere, HBO Max released the second episode of “Welcome to Derry” early as a special Halloween treat. The episode became available on the streamer on Friday, October 31, at 12 a.m. PT/3 a.m. ET. For those who prefer to watch on linear television, the episode will still air on the HBO channel as originally scheduled on Sunday, November 2, at 9 p.m. ET/PT.
The release strategy seems to have paid off, as the “IT” movie franchise itself has seen a major resurgence on the streaming service. Following the series debut, both the 2017 “It” and “It Chapter Two” movies rose to the number 2 and 3 spots on HBO Max’s global top 10 charts.
New episodes of the eight-episode first season of “IT: Welcome to Derry” will continue to air on Sundays on both HBO and HBO Max. The season is set to conclude with its finale on December 14.
Also Read: It: Welcome to Derry Finally Fixes a Major Stephen King Movie Oversight
