The “Game of Thrones” series finale on Sunday set an HBO record 19.3 million viewers.
The viewership of the TV series, which is based on a fantasy-adventure book series, has grown over its eight-year run, culminating with the record-setting finale. Last week’s episode, “The Bells,” held the record with 18.4 million viewers before this week’s “The Iron Throne.”
Of the 19.3 million viewers, 13.6 million people watched the episode at 9 p.m. EDT when it first aired. The entirety of the eighth and final season of the show averaged 44.2 million viewers when accounting for delayed views.
The final season of “Game of Thrones” was divisive to the fan base, with many viewers seeing the end of the show as a complete disaster and others saying there were redeeming parts. After the fifth season, the show passed George R.R. Martin’s book series, A Song of Ice and Fire, leaving some fans unhappy with how the showrunners wrapped up the story.
“The Big Bang Theory,” which ended its run as the most-viewed comedy show on network television, drew in 18 million people for its series finale this month.
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