Here we are, Ladies and Sers, survivors of another Game of Thrones season. Phew. The Sunday finale saw the viewership record broken once more, and broken well. It is now time to visualize all the numbers of the season. First off, here is our trusty graph of viewers of the initial airing, updated with the back half of the episodes (click to enlarge):
The seventh season opened with a then-new record of 10.11 million viewers, which was about 27% more than previous year’s premiere, and 14% more than the finale. The numbers then climbed to reach the standing record of 12.07 million last Sunday. That’s an increase of 36% compared to previous year! The same-day viewership also grew staggeringly quick within the season, adding almost 20% more viewers between the premiere and the finale. For the first time in a while, all episodes of the seasons were seen by more people than any other previous episode.
Season averages are also steadily increasing. This season’s episodes were seen by 10.26 million people on average, more than 2 million more than last year. I plotted all the seasons in the following graph.
The big cross-platform number that HBO is most interested in was 26 million last year. That many people saw the episodes of season 6 on average across all types of cable and digital subscriptions. We last reported this same number just for the premiere episode, and it stood close to 30 million. Vulture now reports that the big 3-0 mark has been exceeded by the season average, which stands at 30.6 million as we speak, and that’s a yet incomplete number not including the finale. The final tally, which we’ll be sure to report on, is going to be big indeed. Note that the estimated HBO subscriber base is about 50 million.
So, that’s it for the numbers. For a wee while, at least …
GODS I WAS STRONG THEN!!
– Our Beloved Bobby B.
Yay the graphs! That blue line just goes up and up. How high can it go?
WOW!
Season 8 ratings will be insane. It is known.
Summer had no ill effect on GoT’s ratings! Important, in case season 8 can actually be ready to debut next summer and those early 2019 rumors where nothing more than execs thinking the ratings would be low for S7. One can hope.
Oh how I wish that would be the case. 2019 would have to be the worse case scenario ever! Not to mention, I have a feeling after over a year, the numbers we are seeing now for a premier and beyond could drop…just saying…they will lose their momentum.
https://loignonducantal.fr/game-of-thrones-saison-8-tournage-cantal/ Where are the french people at?Wtf is going on with this?I got most of it from google translate but I can’t really believe it.I thought filming would start in October?
Jenny,
Translation?
Jenny,
French is my second language, so I understand. But it’s still very strange. At the beginning of August, our teams of reporters went to Col de Légal a few kilometers from Salers to report on the transhumance of sheep and their shepherds with solid leather. An unusual gathering was gathered on the hill. Indeed, it was the shooting team of season 8 of Game of Thrones, scheduled for 2019, which was in full working. Timothy Van Patten, the director was present, but also Kit Harington, interpreter of the famous Jon Snow, and Peter Dinklage, known for playing Tyrion Lannister. A host of technicians were also busy around them.
After initially asking the curious to get away, the crew was moved, probably thanks to the clean and calm air of the Cantal, and agreed to answer some of our questions.
To the question “What do you do in the Cantal?” Director Timothy Van Patten replied: “We needed an atypical and mountainous setting for an episode of the eighth season. Peter [Dinklage aka Tyrion Lannister] told me about a little enchanted corner lost in the middle of France. He showed me the movie The Hobbit of Cantal and I was conquered. If these guys managed to make this film, why not us? ”
We asked Kit Harington [aka Jon Snow] about his knowledge of the area. He replied with great emotion: “My grandmother was a native of Cantal, she lived in Saint-Projet-de-Salers. […] I often came on holiday here when I was young. ”
After extensive investigations, it turned out that the film crew lived in several nearby lodges. We met the tenants of the lodging stage Fau who welcomed the cast: “They are simple people. The first night I served them a truffade, they made a disgusted pout before letting themselves be tempted. They loved it! I prepare Tupperwares for lunch! But I worry about him who is very little, he will not soon return in his costume … “.
Hopefully the film team will have a good time in the area and they will come back for new adventures.
It’s time to update/edit the 101 greatest Game of Thrones scenes….
Take a few off the list and add a few season 7 scenes…
Here is a good read from Vanity Fair magazine
https://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/2017/08/game-of-thrones-season-7-more-time-ghost-grey-worm-arya-sansa-rickon
mau,
From what I gathered they filmed a scene for season 8 in early August in the mountains of France with Kit and Peter.The even more curious thing is the director is Tim Van Patten.
I love seeing the blue line on that graph soaring towards ever-greater heights! The fact that Game of Thrones has increased its total viewership with each passing season for seven straight years is a truly remarkable accomplishment, and one that should never be undersold. It’s a testament to how well the team behind the show has told this story that they’ve managed to capture the attention and adoration of so many, and hold on to those people while also bringing new viewers into the fold. That rarely happens with any ongoing series, especially on television.
I think the fact that the audience took such a substantial leap between Seasons 6 and 7 bodes extremely well for the final season, even if we do have to wait until 2019 for it to debut. No one’s getting off this train with only six episodes to go, and more people discover the show and catch up every offseason. I won’t make any predictions about specific numbers, but suffice it to say that I don’t believe that the show has peaked just yet.
Jenny,
He was the director of the first 2 episodes of Game of Thrones. Maybe Tyrion is going to visit the mountain clans again?
Chilli,
Thanks.Very weird indeed lol.
I assume these statistics don’t include the multitudes who watch pirated episodes, or subscribers who invite the whole neighborhood for watch parties.
firstone,
Yes! Let’s update that List of 101.
I’ve said before, that it’s a great exercise to illustrate that for every criticized misfire, there are 99 unforgettable moments that don’t get nearly the same attention.
Now lemme go look at the Vanity Fair article you linked to make sure Arya-Brienne sparring scene and Sandor throwing rocks at wights is on it…
Chilli,
In the end I think it might just be fake news.But that’s such a weird thing to make up lmao.
The french report is fake. It’ s a fake news website.
Jenny,
I found a description of the website: “L’Oignon du Cantal is a site of satirical information about Cantal and Auvergne. Local news is commented in a humorous and offbeat manner.”
It’s indeed fake news.
They are filming until August. No way it premieres in the Summer
Chilli,
Well at least they were creative lol.
firstone,
Well, the Vanity Fair article is about scenes we should have seen but did not see, e.g., Arya’s Friends Talk About Arya:
“Of the seven men who went north of the Wall to grab a wight for Queen Cersei, five spent significant time with Arya Stark. Jon was raised with her, Gendry traveled with her before they were abducted by the Brotherhood (Thoros and Beric), who in turn lost her to the Hound. Any one of these five men could have paused in their explorations of their relative daddy issues to chat about the murderous little girl. Grant you, the Hound and Brienne chatted about her in the finale (and it was great), but it would have been nice for Gendry, at least, to ask Jon about the Stark sister he spent so much time with.”
I kind of think 2019 makes sense so they can have the last 4 shows in the February sweeps
It doesn’t include pirated viewers.
The ratings have built-in metrics that includes people’s tendencies (base on a small sample size), including to watch in groups.
As long as GoT doesn’t go against Sunday Night Football next season.
The ratings will be even higher!
Wow! HBO exec in interview stated filming for season 8 will run until August next year and across multiple continents, damn! Well we have Europe and NA (Direwolves), therefore my bet is hedging on such a massive shooting schedule they have to travel to either Pantagonia or NZ for wintery summer 2018 filming. Looks more like February 2019 post Super Bowl is the target.
I can see why Gendry might not bring up Arya to Jon, from his perspective he doesn’t really have anything useful to relay about her, Gendry doesn’t know if she is dead or alive or what has happened to her – from his POV she was traveling with the BoB to ransom her back to her family – for all he knows they did and she died along with her mother and brother. Might be a difficult conversation to bring up…
That is why I think the most obvious Arya mention would have been between Gendry and Thoros and Beric. He last saw her with them, so it would be natural for him to ask what happened to her. Did they ransom her? Was she killed? Then maybe the Hound overhears and fills in a little more of the story… but I get why there just wasn’t time or it didn’t fit the mood – maybe if they just took a raven or two with them (I mean ravens are like Westeroi cell phones, why leave them at home?), Gendry wouldn’t have had to run back and we could have had that convo …
Also, I don’t think anyone has taken the time to thank all the raven breeders, trainers, and handlers – though everything going on in Westeros they continue to keep up the very high and demanding standards of their profession. Truly one of the many unsung heroes in GOT!
Also a shout out to all the trappers, textiles, designers and seamstresses – there never seems to be a shortage on the fabulous varieties of furs, fabrics and killer outfits – especially those traveling with Dany, they really should have added a scene of her nodding approval to her group of tireless woman sitting in a room sewing all those clothes! Maybe a few of the actual women who do the work could do a little cameo 🙂
Jenny,
Yeah (I’m French). It’s not a real news website. I don’t know the equivalent in the USA but basically, it’s just a website which shares fake humoristic stories in the shape of journalistic ones (I don’t mean fake news, just “joke news”). We have a lot of those, some nationals, some specialized on specific regions (like the one you’re citing) and they’re often really funny 🙂
All this to say : JUST A JOKE 😉
Gotta take my hat off and bow to you mau. YOU TOTALLY NAILED IT!!! http://watchersonthewall.com/game-thrones-breaks-viewership-record-episode-705/#more-150837 (Comment at: 11:55 am)
And one who didn’t…as in not at all: “Mr. I-know-nothing 24” 😀 (Comment at: 12:02 pm)
I didn’t really believe my own predictions based on statistics up until S7E05, but it seems they weren’t completely bonkers afterall. In the clear light of hindsight, I should’ve gone with an average of my two outer markers at 11.74 mill. and 12.47 mill. = 12.1 mill. viewers 😉 (Same article at: 6:59 pm)
Now we’ll just have to wait through the too long winter to see, if your prediction for the S8 finale will hit the mark as well. (Same article at: August 15, 2017 at 2:16 pm).
If our longest winter yet does lasts all the way into 2019, I doubt it’ll be possible to reach those 15 million, due to possible decrease in general public interest/other viewing habits etc. BUT in theory it could get pretty damn close, given the overall average increase from one finale to the next is now at 26.3%!
They missed a trick there. He should have replied “Je ne sais rien”.