Halo TV Show Sets Premiere Ratings Record for Paramount+

The first episode of the new Halo TV show premiered on Paramount+ last week, and it was a major hit. In fact, it is the most-watched Paramount+ series premiere globally in its first 24 hours of release!

Previously, the top slot was held by 1883, a prequel to the popular Yellowjackets series, which premiered in December. And it goes without saying that Halo’s premiere is lightyears above the more niche programming of the various Star Trek shows that are exclusive to Paramount+.

So, how many people actually tuned in to see live-action Master Chief? While Paramount+ is coy about providing actual numbers for the streaming service, Deadline reports that 1883’s premiere episode was viewed by a whopping 4.9 million viewers on Paramount Network. We’ll get a better idea of what Halo’s numbers might be when Nielsen’s streaming rankings for this week are released.

Of course, with Halo being a popular game franchise for over two decades, the TV show had the potential to appeal to gamers as well as general fans of science fiction. Furthermore, Paramount went all out with a veritable advertising blitzkrieg for the show on MTV, Comedy Central, CBS, and more.

“Bringing Halo to life as a streaming series has been one of the most rewarding efforts for Paramount+ to date and we could not be more thrilled at the massive fan response to the series’ debut,” said Tanya Giles, Chief Programming Officer at Paramount+. “Along with our phenomenal partners at Showtime, 343 Industries and Amblin Television, we cannot wait for fans to experience more of this incredible universe.”

Halo already been renewed for a second season. It is currently sitting at a “fresh” rating at RottenTomatoes with a good (but not great) 61% critical score and 64% audience score.

What did you think of the premiere episode? Let us know in the comments!