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Where to watch The Last of Us in the UK as the season finale nears

The smash-hit live-action remake is airing exclusively on Sky and Now TV, and episode 9 premiers on 13 March

Alex Lee

Friday 10 March 2023 17:15 GMT

The show has received as much praise as the critically acclaimed video game (HBO/The Independent)

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After eight incredible episodes, the first season of the post-apocalyptic drama The Last of Us will sadly come to an end this weekend. One of the most successful shows to air on HBO and Sky in recent memory, the latest episode racked up a record eight million viewers – more than double that of episode one.

It’s been such a smash hit that, at the end of January, HBO renewed it for a second season, after airing just two episodes. A hit among critics and viewers alike, the final episode will air on Sky Atlantic and Now TV this coming Monday at 2am GMT.

While the post-apocalyptic TV show stuck fairly closely to its source material in terms of story beats, Craig Mazin (Chernobyl) and Neil Druckmann (creator of the original video game) began to deviate and expand onThe Last of Us from episode three onwards.

Taking place in an alternative 2023, 20 years after a fungal plague has turned most of the world’s population into screeching monsters,Joel – played by Pedro Pascal from Narcos and Game of Thrones – has been hired to smuggle 14-year-old Ellie (Bella Ramsey, also from Game of Thrones) across the country, as she may be humanity’s last hope.

Whether you’re catching up or waiting for episode nine, here’s where you can watch The Last of Us in the UK, online and on TV.

How to watch ‘The Last of Us’ in the UK on Sky

The Last of Us airs exclusively on Sky Atlantic here in the UK. It is broadcast at 2am GMT every Monday morning. Episode nine will begin broadcasting on 13 March at 2am, premiering simultaneously with the US. That means it will clash with the Oscars, so pick your poison.

For viewers unwilling to stay up that late on a school night, even for the season finale of The Last of Us, the latest episode of the show will air again at 9pm that same evening. But you can, of course, always catch it on Now TV or on demand on Sky Go.

If you’re not already a Sky customer, you can get yourself a Sky Stream box (£26 per month, Sky.com), which comes with a Sky TV entertainment package and a free subscription to Netflix’s basic plan, as well as a free subscription to Discovery+ (the home of Eurosport).

The Sky Stream is Sky’s new device, and it doesn’t require a satellite dish, as it streams Sky directly, using your broadband connection. It’s the cheapest and easiest way to get Sky TV, giving you access to Sky Atlantic, Sky Showcase and Sky Max, as well as on-demand content.

Get the Sky Stream box now

How to watch ‘The Last of Us’ in the UK on Now TV

If you don’t already have Sky or don’t want to buy the Sky Stream box, but still want to watch The Last of Us, you can stream it live on the Sky-owned Now streaming service (formerly Now TV), as well as watch it on catch-up.

You’ll have to subscribe to Now’s entertainment membership. The pay-monthly streaming service includes access to shows from Sky Atlantic, Sky Documentaries, Peacock, MTV and more, including House of the Dragon and The White Lotus.

A Now entertainment membership costs £9.99 per month, but you can also get a six-month Now entertainment and Now cinema membership at a discount (was £19.98 per month, now £12 per month, Nowtv.com). Now also offers a seven-day free trial for new members.

Watch ‘The Last of Us’ on Now TV

When will ‘The Last of Us’ episode 9 come out in the UK?

The Last of Us season finale will air on Monday 13 March at 2am. The episode is titled Look for the Light, which is a reference to the Fireflies' slogan: When you're lost in the darkness, look for the light. The episode is 46 minutes long.

In the trailer, we see Joel and Ellie finally reaching the Fireflies' camp, where they hope to use Ellie's immunity to develop a cure for the Cordyceps infection. Ashley Johnson, who voices Ellie in the video games, also makes an appearance.

How many episodes of ‘The Last of Us’ are there?

The Last of Us on HBO has nine episodes in total. The finale episode is the shortest, while the longest episode is, coincidentally, the season premiere, clocking in at 81 minutes long.

HBO renewed the show for a second season on 27 January 2023, just two episodes in to season one. We expect The Last of Us: Part II to receive the HBO treatment in the next instalment. There’s no The Last of Us season two release date just yet, but we’re likely to get one once the first season finishes airing.

The final episode of The Last of Us will be broadcast on Monday 13 March 2023 in the UK. Here’s the full release schedule for The Last of Us in the UK:

The Last of Us episode 1: When You’re Lost in the Darkness – Monday 16 January 2023, 2am GMT, Watch now on Now TV
The Last of Us episode 2: Infected – Monday 23 January 2023, 2am/9pm GMT, Watch now on Now TV
The Last of Us episode 3: Long, Long Time – Monday 30 January 2023, 2am/9pm GMT, Watch now on Now TV
The Last of Us episode 4: Please Hold to My Hand – Monday 6 February 2023, 2am/9pm GMT Watch now on Now TV
The Last of Us episode 5: Endure and Survive – Saturday 11 February 2023, 2am/9pm GMT, Watch now on Now TV
The Last of Us episode 6: Kin – Monday 20 February 2023, 2am/9pm GMT, Watch now on Now TV
The Last of Us episode 7: Left Behind–Monday 27 February 2023, 2am/9pm GMT, Watch now on Now TV
The Last of Us episode 8: When We Are in Need – Monday 6 March 2023, 2am/9pm GMT, Watch now on Now TV
The Last of Us episode 9: Look for the Light – Monday 13 March 2023, 2am/9pm GMT

How to watch ‘The Last of Us’ episode one for free

On 27 January 2023, Sky made the entire first episode of The Last of Us, which has been met with rave reviews, available to watch on YouTube for free – no subscription to Sky or Now TV necessary. Obviously, it’s all a clever ploy to get viewers to sign up to Sky or Now, to watch the rest of the season, but it’s a good taster to gauge whether the show is your thing or not.

Watch ‘The Last of Us’ episode one on YouTube for free now

How to watch ‘The Last of Us’ in the US on HBO Max

In the US, The Last of Us will be airing exclusively on HBO at 9pm ET every Sunday night. The first episode was broadcast on 15 January 2023. If you aren’t subscribed to HBO via cable, you’ll also be able to catch it live on HBO Max, the broadcaster’s streaming service.

There are two tiers of HBO Max. The ad-supported tier costs $9.99 per month, while the ad-free tier costs $14.99 per month. You can also pay annually, with a 12-month ad-supported subscription costing $99.99 per year and $149.99 per year for the ad-free tier.

Watch ‘The Last of Us’ on HBO Max

Best ‘The Last of Us’ game deals

‘The Last of Us: Part I’, PS5: Was £69.99, now £64.99, Amazon.co.uk

If you’ve yet to play the game that inspired and kicked off the much-adored show, Amazon currently has a deal on The Last of Us: Part I game, which is a PS5 version of the original 2013 version. It’s been rebuilt from the ground up, so visuals are even more realistic, and it works tremendously well with the PS5 dualsense controller.

Buy now

‘The Last of Us: Part II’, PS4: £29.95, Amazon.co.uk

If you’re dying to know what happens next in The Last of Us, there’s no better way of doing that than playing the next title in the game franchise. The Last of Us: Part II takes place five years after the events of the first game (and the first season), this time from the perspective of Ellie.