'White Lotus 3' kicks off strong with record-breaking 2.4M viewership
What's the story
The third season of the critically acclaimed HBO series The White Lotus premiered on Sunday night, setting a new record with 2.4 million cross-platform viewers, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
The number marks a whopping 57% increase from the second season's premiere, which attracted 1.5 million viewers.
The show's success continued to skyrocket as viewer numbers nearly doubled to 4.6 million within the first 36 hours, largely due to the US President's Day holiday on Monday (US time).
International success
'White Lotus' S03 viewership tripled in Latin America, Europe
According to HBO, the viewership of The White Lotus's third season more than tripled in Latin America and Europe. However, the network did not provide specific data to support this claim.
The third season of this popular satire, created by Mike White, is set in Thailand and introduces an unidentified body in the first episode, sparking widespread speculation among fans about the victim's identity.
Show developments
Unexpected cast appearances and theme song change
The new season's first episode, titled Same Spirits, New Forms, surprised fans with Natasha Rothwell's unexpected return. She reprised her role as Belinda Lindsey from the first season but is now seen at the Thai resort for advanced training.
Another surprise was Jon Gries's return as Greg Hunt, making his character the only one to appear in all three seasons.
Despite these exciting developments, fans were disappointed over a change in the show's iconic theme song.