IT: Welcome to Derry Premiere Draws 5.7 Million Viewers in Strong HBO/Max Debut

Horror Prequel IT: Welcome to Derry Achieves Massive Three-Day Audience

The highly anticipated prequel series, IT: Welcome to Derry, has delivered a terrifyingly strong performance for HBO and Max, securing 5.7 million U.S. viewers within its first three days of availability. The series, which premiered on October 26, immediately established itself as a major success for the platform, demonstrating the enduring appeal of the Stephen King horror universe and the power of established intellectual property in the streaming wars of 2025.

This robust opening figure encompasses viewership across both the linear HBO channel and the Max streaming service, signaling significant audience engagement right out of the gate for the dark drama set in the infamous town of Derry, Maine.

Breaking Down the Premiere Metrics

The 5.7 million viewership metric is a critical benchmark in the current media landscape, where measuring success across linear television and on-demand streaming is complex. By aggregating the audience across both platforms over the crucial 72-hour window following the premiere, Max can accurately gauge the immediate cultural impact and subscriber interest.

For a horror series, even one tied to a blockbuster film franchise, achieving this level of immediate engagement is rare. It places IT: Welcome to Derry among the top-tier debuts for Max in recent history, often reserved for established flagship dramas or major fantasy epics.

Why 5.7 Million Matters

In the competitive streaming environment, a strong three-day debut indicates several key factors:

• High Anticipation: The marketing campaign successfully translated the existing fanbase of the IT films and Stephen King’s novel into immediate viewers.
• Franchise Strength: It confirms that the Pennywise mythology remains a massive draw, capable of anchoring a long-form series.
• Subscriber Retention: High-profile, successful debuts like this are essential for attracting new subscribers and, more importantly, reducing churn among existing ones.

The Return to Derry: Context and Lore

IT: Welcome to Derry is not a direct adaptation of Stephen King’s 1986 novel, but rather a prequel that expands upon the narrative established in the highly successful film adaptations, It (2017) and It Chapter Two (2019), both directed by Andy Muschietti. Muschietti, along with his sister Barbara Muschietti, served as executive producers on the series, ensuring narrative continuity and maintaining the distinct visual tone that characterized the films.

The series delves into the origins of the terrifying entity known as Pennywise the Dancing Clown and the cyclical nature of evil that plagues the town of Derry. Set decades before the Losers’ Club first faced the creature in the late 1980s, the prequel explores the town’s darkest historical moments and how the presence of ‘It’ has shaped its inhabitants over time.

Key Creative Connections

The involvement of the Muschiettis was crucial in lending credibility to the project, which could have otherwise been viewed as a cash-grab spin-off. Their commitment to the lore and their established relationship with the source material provided the necessary foundation for the series to succeed.

• Executive Producers: Andy Muschietti and Barbara Muschietti.
• Setting: Derry, Maine, in the mid-20th century.
• Goal: To explore the deep history of the town and the entity before the events of the modern films.

Implications for the Max Content Strategy

The success of IT: Welcome to Derry reinforces Max’s strategy of investing heavily in high-quality, genre-specific content tied to recognizable intellectual property. In an era where subscribers are selective about which platforms they commit to, proven franchises offer a lower risk and higher reward.

This premiere performance sends a clear message to the industry: horror, when executed with high production values and strong creative vision, can compete directly with prestige dramas and fantasy blockbusters in terms of immediate audience capture.

Furthermore, the strong debut suggests that Max has successfully leveraged the theatrical success of the IT films, which collectively grossed over $1.1 billion worldwide, translating that cinematic momentum directly into streaming viewership.

“Translating a massive theatrical horror hit into a successful streaming series is a challenging feat, but the numbers show the Muschiettis and the Max team managed to capture the cultural zeitgeist surrounding Pennywise once again. This is a major win for franchise expansion on the platform,” noted one industry analyst.

Key Takeaways

The 5.7 million three-day viewership for IT: Welcome to Derry is a significant marker for the horror genre and the Max platform:

• Massive Debut: The series achieved one of the strongest three-day premiere audiences for a new Max series in the 2024-2025 season.
• Franchise Validation: It validates the decision to expand the IT universe through a prequel series, proving the longevity of the Stephen King property.
• Strategic Success: The figures underscore the effectiveness of Max’s strategy to use established, high-profile IP to drive immediate viewership and subscriber engagement.
• Creative Continuity: The involvement of film directors Andy and Barbara Muschietti was key to maintaining the quality and tone expected by the existing fanbase.

What’s Next for Derry

Given the exceptional premiere numbers, the prospects for a second season of IT: Welcome to Derry appear extremely strong. The initial success provides Max with a powerful new anchor in the horror space, potentially leading to further explorations of the vast and terrifying lore created by Stephen King. Industry observers anticipate a quick renewal announcement, allowing the creative team to continue charting the dark history of Pennywise and the town of Derry for millions of viewers worldwide.