The Game of Thrones season 7 premiere has set some new records.
The episode’s first-run telecast on HBO attracted an average of 10.1 million viewers during its premiere on Sunday night, according to data obtained by The Hollywood Reporter. With streaming views added to that figure, the show’s audience grew to 16.1 million viewers, the report says.
Game of Thrones ended what was its longest season hiatus on July 16. Season 7 follows a host of prominent figures around Westeros as they all vie for control over the Seven Kingdoms. The first episode was generally well-received and even included a cameo from famed artist Ed Sheeran.
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The premiere’s success is nothing to scoff at. According to The Hollywood Reporter, the show has never attracted more than 8.9 million viewers to one of its telecasts. Game of Thrones‘ premiere, then, attracted millions of more viewers than the show ever has.
Game of Thrones is the most-watched series in HBO history, though it’s benefited from the ubiquity of streaming services, like HBO Go and HBO Now, which provide users easier access to the network’s content. HBO programming is also available on a host of other services, including streaming television offering Sling TV. Amazon (AMZN) offers an HBO subscription through its Amazon Channels streaming-video platform. Earlier this month, Hulu added HBO and Cinemax streaming support to its service.
The latest Game of Thrones season will air a total of seven episodes. The season finale is slated for August 27.