'Game of Thrones' Season 7 Premiere Breaks HBO Viewership Records
The seventh season of HBO's hit series "Game of Thrones" has finally arrived and its return has once again shattered the cable network's viewership records.
The premiere episode of "Game of Thrones" season 7, which aired last Sunday night, drew a record-breaking 10.1 million viewers, a 27 percent increase from last season's premiere of 7.9 million. That is also more viewership than season 6's finale episode which back then drew in a record-breaking 8.9 million.
What's even more impressive is that those numbers are just for TV-only viewership. Adding the DVR viewing and streaming on HBO Go and HBO Now, the total viewership rating of season 7's premiere episode is a more than impressive 16.1 million.
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HBO executives most definitely have something to celebrate about especially since their viewership increased 50 percent from last year's overall 10.1 million rating, USA Today reported.
This proves that there are now more people watching the hit TV series and it is highly likely that this great start will continue with the upcoming episodes.
Sadly though, even with "GOT's" impressive start, it is still ineligible for this year's Emmy Awards since only shows that run from June 1, 2016 to May 31, 2017 are allowed to participate. But nevertheless, the latest season offers many exciting things to come.
During the first episode of season 7 titled "Dragonstone," viewers got to see more of what season 6 had left off beginning with Arya Stark (Maisie Williams), who after killing Lord Walder Frey (David Bradley), used her identity to kill off the remaining nobles responsible for the Red Wedding which saw the death of his brother and mother.
The rest of the episode had been mostly dialogue between the characters of each storyline. Jon Snow (Kit Harington) and Sansa Stark (Sophie Turner) got into argument in front of all the Lords of the North while the former showcased his "wiser" side by choosing to forgive those who betrayed the Starks.
Ed Sheeran also made his highly anticipated cameo and did what he does best: singing.
However, the main event was saved for last. With "Dragonstone" being the title, the episode ended with Daenerys Targaryen (Emilia Clarke) finally arriving at her ancestor's home along with her ships, army and dragons.
"Game of Thrones" season 7 airs every Sunday at 9 p.m. EDT on HBO.
