HBO’s Hit Period Drama Series Sets Major Viewership Record Halfway Through Season 3

July 24, 2025

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The hit HBO period drama, The Gilded Age, just hit a major viewership record halfway through season 3. The Gilded Age is in its third season and continues to prove that costume and historical dramas are as popular as ever, and your show doesn’t need to be titled Bridgerton for viewers to check it out.

The Gilded Age, a series about the moneyed Americans of the late 19th century, premiered its third season on June 22, 2025. The fifth episode, “A Different World”, aired on HBO on July 20 and reached 4 million viewers in Live+3 viewing, which is a rating that counts the live viewership and viewership over the next three days (via Variety).

That viewership beat the previous series high, which was set a week earlier with episode 4, “Marriage is a Gamble,” which had 3.8 million viewers. Altogether, this season of The Gilded Age is outperforming season 2 by 20% and there are still three more episodes to go in the season.

What These Viewership Ratings Mean For The Gilded Age

The Gilded Age Was Always Critically Acclaimed, Even While It Had Low Viewership

The Gilded Age has always received positive critical acclaim, with season 1 earning a 79% on Rotten Tomatoes and season 2 jumping up to a 94%. The show has also earned three Emmy nominations and a SAG nomination. However, it still never had strong viewership.

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The Gilded Age came back for season 3, and the two-year wait didn’t diminish audiences’ desire to return to New York high society in the slightest.

These ratings are much more in line with what the series has always been deserving of. Sometimes it simply takes a season or two for a show to find its footing and begin gaining traction in the way it should. Even if a series premieres on HBO, there’s no guarantee people will flock to it.

In another world, The Gilded Age could have been one of the many shows cut too early because it did not have the viewers, despite receiving the praise. However, HBO must have known the show was worth pursuing when they ordered another season, and now they’re being rewarded for their foresight.

Our Take On The Gilded Age’s Viewership Rating

The Gilded Age Has Always Deserved These Viewership Numbers

Christine Baranski as Aunt Agnes looking concerned in The Gilded Age — Image by Simone Ashmoore

The Gilded Age is an exceptional series. Even with a debut season that struggles a bit, it’s still a highly entertaining entrance into a world not very often put on the screen. The series has impeccable production design and impressive costuming that make every shot of the series a visual treat.

What’s more, the ensemble cast, which includes Carrie Coon, Morgan Spector, Louisa Jacobson, and Denée Benton, is fantastic in their respective roles. The Gilded Age should have had high viewership numbers since it premiered, so it’s satisfying to see it get the recognition it deserves.

Source: Variety