The series finale of Game of Thrones set records for HBO, drawing 13.6 million US viewers for its initial airing on Sunday night.
Adding in replays and early streaming, that figure climbs to 19.3 million. Both figures are records not just for Game of Thrones, but for HBO's entire history.
The previous high for Game of Thrones was set by the penultimate episode on May 12, which delivered 12.48 million viewers for its debut airing and a first-night total of 18.4 million.
The previous ratings record for HBO was held by the fourth-season premiere of The Sopranos in 2002, which drew 13.43 million viewers. The Sopranos' series finale in 2007 also set the previous record for an HBO series finale with 11.9 million viewers.
In comparison, The Big Bang Theory ended its run last week with 16 million viewers overnight; the national must-carry broadcast network however reaches twice as many homes as HBO, which is subscription-based.
The previous high for Game of Thrones was set by the penultimate episode on May 12, which delivered 12.48 million viewers for its debut airing and a first-night total of 18.4 million.
The previous ratings record for HBO was held by the fourth-season premiere of The Sopranos in 2002, which drew 13.43 million viewers. The Sopranos' series finale in 2007 also set the previous record for an HBO series finale with 11.9 million viewers.
In comparison, The Big Bang Theory ended its run last week with 16 million viewers overnight; the national must-carry broadcast network however reaches twice as many homes as HBO, which is subscription-based.
