We bend the knee to HBO’s most rated show ever in history.
According to HBO ratings, the season finale of the award-winning show attracted up to 13.6 million viewers for its initial airing on Sunday night. Adding in replays and early streaming surmounts the figure to 19.3 million, making the series the highest in terms of HBO records.
The episode 5 leading to the final episode delivered a total of 12.48 million viewers for its debut airing and a first-night total of 18.4 million, a record which makes it second to the final episode’s triumph. The final season of the show has by far recorded five of the six most watched episodes in ‘Game of Thrones’ history with the final episode of season 7 been the sixth. The Hollywood Reporter records that, with continued streaming, DVR and on-demand viewing and additional replays, season eight of the series is averaging 44.2 million viewers through Sunday. Beating season seven hands down with a 10 million viewership gap.
‘Sopranos’ back in 2002 held the flagship title of HBO’s most viewed show, which drew a total of 13.43 million viewers, taking out DVR replay which was not a factor then. The series also recorded the previous high for an HBO series finale with 11.9 million viewers before ‘Game of Thrones’ claimed the throne.
The final episode of the 8-year long running series aired on Sunday, May 19, leaving mixed feelings and critics to die-hard fans of the series relating to Bran Stark victory over the Iron throne. A prequel of the series has been hinted by the show’s creators and is slated to air somewhere 2021.
