It is very hard to get an original TV drama off the ground these days. HBO remains one of the only networks that can do it, with original shows like Succession, Euphoria and Hacks all finding success. Meanwhile, you may not have heard much about Industry, an HBO drama about the world of investment bankings that's been running for two seasons now. By the sound of it, the third season is make-or-break for the show; if ratings doin't pick up, this could be the end.
Happily for the cast and crew, viewership for the season 3 premiere — which aired this past Sunday — was up 60% from the season 2 premiere in 2022 and 88% from the series premiere in 2020. Isn't there an audience out there for a show where young ambitious people have sex while trying to make ludicrously large piles of money? According to The Wrap, yes!
A couple of factors account for this spike. For one thing, Industry airs on Sunday nights at 9:00 p.m. EST, which is the same slot previously filled by House of the Dragon, one of HBO's biggest hits. Viewership for the second season of House of the Dragon increased as it went on, climaxing with a same-night audience of 8.9 million for the finale. That finale, incidentally, left some people with the impression that the season wasn't over, so I wouldn't be surprised if a few turned into Industry expecting more dragons.
But that's selling Industry too short. It's been getting positive word of mouth, a benefit of HBO letting it stick around and find its footing. Also, the Sunday night time slot on HBO is just a draw regardless of what's in it; in an age when appointment viewing is becoming a thing of the past, people still know to expect quality from that spot.
Finally, the Industry team geared up for the third season with a couple of high-profile new hires, including Game of Thrones star Kit Harington as a tech CEO named Henry Muck. People may tune in to see what Jon Snow can do in modern dress, and the fact that he has a couple nude scenes can't hurt either.
All that said, only 300,000 people tuned in for the season 3 premiere of Industry, which is small potatoes compared to the likes of House of the Dragon even if it represents a big jump for the series. But with positive buzz and a primo time slot, there's every possibility that ratings could rise as the season goes on. The A.V. Club points out that the fourth and final season of Barry brought in 700,000 viewers when it premiered on HBO in 2023, but that the audience had quadrupled by the end.
It's great seeing TV shows grow organically like this! I'll be honest: I hadn't given Industry much thought before this, but as I've seen it advertised around, my interest is piqued. HBO is growing shows the old-fashioned way and it seems to be working for them, which I love.
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