Ten thousand ships, ten million viewers
It is Tuesday and the weekly Game of Thrones viewership numbers are in once again, thanks to Zap2It’s TV by the Numbers. The first airing of this week’s episode, “The Queen’s Justice,” was seen by 9.25 million viewers, essentially the same number as last week. Any comparison with another cable show is simply futile at this point.
This means that all three episodes so far this season had a higher viewership than any from previous seasons – and the numbers follow the common seasonal trend of starting with a record, followed by a minor dip before soaring again towards the end. (Incidentally, and with some delayed reporting from my side, the first episode this year broke records across the board, including in Australia, the UK, and Italy).
Which episode can beat the 10.11 million set by the season seven premiere? I can promise you an updated ratings graphics next week, after episode four numbers are in. Those had better be just as high as well, so as not to ruin the impression, right?
Nothing stops this train.
mauQuote Reply
Hodor!
VaqueroQuote Reply
Sweet!
After #3 and paying attention to the next episode promo I say EVERYBODY should watch “The Spoils of War.” We should impregnate the ratings bitch!! 😉
ClobQuote Reply
I wonder if HBO is regretting their decision to end the show on season 8. These ratings are magnificent. But regardless, D&D are ultimately in control of this monster of a series. I hope six more episodes (post season 7) gives us enough content to end the entire series with. Each episode will have to be marginally longer.
EdwardQuote Reply
I would expect nothing less from the best show ever made…by a landslide. Even if so far Season 6 was better.
JoeyQuote Reply
You said:
“Any comparison with another cable show is simply futile at this point.”
MNF during the season is in the top 25 cable rankings with an 11.4 million wkly avg so that is higher than GOT.
sQuote Reply
I could see this season breaking the 11 Million viewer mark for the finale. Most people will be home on not on vacation.
Can it break 12 Million next season?
Best show in television history.
The BastardQuote Reply
Always better ending on a high note. D&D are already lucky the show has stayed strong for 7 seasons both with quality and ratings. That is almost unheard of.
The BastardQuote Reply
that is fantastic news! so happy with the shows success!!!! I happen to stumble along a website stating how the Walking Dead was the highest rated TV show, and even compared it to Game of Thrones, am I missing something here? why is this even a dabte? there’s a huge difference between AMC and HBO and most cable companies offer AMC almost as standard (if not very cheap for an add-on) compared to paying for HBO at $15-$20 a month, so I think HBO has really gotten this beat down to the pulp if you ask me, a service or channel that costs triple the price of most other networks and has 9-10 Million viewers? I think that’s a feat all on its own, not taking anything away from other networks no, but I thought I found it funny that some people are so quick to compare GOT to WD without really taking anything else in consideration that it’s not even in the same network.
oh well, cant wait for next sunday!!!!
ninjabearQuote Reply
The Bastard,
True. I personally believe they’ll be able to end the show on a high note. Especially since it’ll be, more or less, the ending that GRRM conceived. Short and sweet is sometimes the way to go.
EdwardQuote Reply
Fantastic episode, fantastic viewership numbers. I love it!
JaredQuote Reply
s,
We’re talking about comparing it to other drama, fictional shows. Monday Night Football, a sports program on a basic cable channel, is entirely different animal.
Sue the FuryQuote Reply
Even though GoT is on a premium channel the gap is narrowing. TWD’s S7 averaged 11.35 mil. Plus, there’s the 110 Emmy nominations to 16 with 39 fewer Emmy considered/eligible episodes for GoT. 🙂
There have been some pretty good episodes of TWD, but the quality and entertainment values jump up and down so much. Plus there’s that whole cyclical storyline.
ClobQuote Reply
Great figures
Hopefully things are set up nicely for next week when I think we are set for a battle sequence of some kind
Ghost LunchQuote Reply
Clob,
I’ve never watched the walking dead lol but I see your point that HBO has a much higher quality to it, I feel like the walking dead has been on forever and will keep going for a long time, unfortunately for GOT when it is done next season at least they are ending on a high note unlike some shows who get crazy ratings but keep the show alive for the sake of ratings then it suffers and then the shows cancelled, HEROES anyone? Lol. I just prefer watching zombie movies rather than zombie tv shows. Oh but frozen ice zombies are the bomb!!! 😀
NinjabearQuote Reply
I predict episodes 5,6, and 7 will surpass the premier numbers.
Tyrion PimpslapQuote Reply
Off-topic, but it’s strange that we haven’t we gotten an episode description for episode 4, or even the writing credits. HBO seems to be holding a lot of things close to the vest.
Except for the title of Episode 4, we don’t have any more episode titles or writing credits or synopses for the rest of the season yet.
Markus StarkQuote Reply
Markus Stark,
I’m sure Hill has written E5. The rest is D&D’s.
mauQuote Reply
Tyrion Pimpslap,
I agree. And then S8 will break the weel. 15 millions for the last episode.
mauQuote Reply
Really great news! There will be such a legacy of this show.
Lord ParramandasQuote Reply
Lord Parramandas,
I can only imagine how good it will be for people to start waching the show when it’s over.
It’s really hard to find a good finished show that feels like a one big story.
mauQuote Reply
In UK we see it on Sky Atlantic and I am sure last week’s episode was something like 4.2million which I am sure I read was the highest figure for a Sky show ever, well so far.
Carole HQuote Reply
Markus Stark,
Yea, it would be nice to get more titles and descriptions, but the descriptions are usually so vague that they are reasonably fruitless. Remember “Sam and Gilly meet an older gentleman” from “Second Sons”? lol
Mr DerpQuote Reply
While I enjoy hearing that GoT is smashing the ratings, I really could care less for the most part. I love the show, but it’s not a popularity contest for me. I just enjoy the show and that’s my main interest. Everything else is just gravy.
Mr DerpQuote Reply
s,
Anyone with a 20 dollar antennae can watch Monday Night Football. That doesn’t impress me at all.
Lyanna_TargaryenQuote Reply
But you cannot give up on the gravy!
zodQuote Reply
Markus Stark,
The HBO schedule confirms D&D wrote episode 4.
On a side note … the online schedule has, for the past two weeks, updated the actors starring in the episode before it airs. So far, it has lined up exactly with the actual appearances and even credit order. For 704 it shows:
Actors: Peter Dinklage, Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, Lena Headey, Emilia Clarke, Kit Harington, Aidan Gillen, Liam Cunningham, Sophie Turner, Maisie Williams, Nathalie Emmanuel, Conleth Hill, Jerome Flynn, Alfie Allen, Gwendoline Christie, Isaac Hempstead Wright
Which means: No Oldtown and (again) no Clegane/Brotherhood.
Dutch MaesterQuote Reply
Mr Derp,
Haha, yeah, that was an epicly weird and funny description for, you know, encountering a fucking ice demon. Definitely one for the annals of TV synopses.
Markus StarkQuote Reply
That’s a shame, but since it’s such a short episode, and has quite a bit of ground to cover, I expected Oldtown and the Brotherhood to be left out. Still though, three episodes without the Hound is outrageous lol.
Markus StarkQuote Reply
I don’t understand this. So either some people tuned in, missed three episodes and then watched the last two or three (????)
Or some people tuned in, then streamed three episodes illegally online and then watched the last few again legally (????)
Or some people tuned in watched the first episode and then stopped watching while other started watching it from about episode 4 or 5 (????)
How do you make sense of viewing trends which dip in the middle of a TV series while it is airing?
ViolatorQuote Reply
MNF is only on cable espn – antenna wont work.
Stay in your lane.
salacious crumbQuote Reply
salacious crumb,
MNF happens to be on ESPN now because they paid the most for the rights (overpaid many argue because their ratings are dropping and they were forced to lay people off). But football can be seen for the most part on basic TV with an antenna so check yourself before you tell anyone to stay in their lane.
Tywin’s GhostQuote Reply
Can’t see HBO being worried at GoT ending. There is spin-offs too. Many spin-offs.
This train is going and going and going and going ….
NKQuote Reply
The numbers refer to the FIRST airing. Some people may simply watch later at their convenience – on demand or from a DVR recording.
KayQuote Reply
The quote in the article said cable shows
MNF is on cable – unlike sunday afternoon/SNF/TNF (less the NFLN only games)
Thats why i mentioned MNF specifically
You need to take a ratings 101 class.
salacious crumbQuote Reply
Violator,
time-shifted viewing. these are initial numbers and while there was mania to watch the premiere as it happened, people are watching subsequent episodes at their leisure (still on a weekly basis). It’ll pick back up again towards the finale.
AshQuote Reply
salacious crumb,
That’s a nonsensical answer. You’ve clearly flunked ratings class 101, debate 101 and streaming in the modern age and what that means for cable. Though you’ve mastered trumpism final course with flying colors so Congrats! Now if you want to actually talk ratings how much they mean in the age of streaming, we can do that (and I’d love to discuss the example you threw out). Until you can provide accurate examples and proof of your assertions, check yourself before you tell anyone to stay in their lane or they don’t understand ratings. Otherwise no one can take you or your attempt at snark seriously.
Tywin’s GhostQuote Reply
mau,
I work with three people who are waiting for the show to end BEFORE watching it all! Crazy eh?
Dee StarkQuote Reply
Sorry but that’s funny 🙂
hahahaha
Dee StarkQuote Reply
Youre just mad cause the people gave you & your bud hillary the finger – wa wa.
We arent talking streaming – the article just mentioned same day tv viewers.
Evidently you flunked basic reading too.
salacious crumbQuote Reply
s,
Monday Night Football is usually on a basic channel that comes free. To watch GoT, you have to pay 15-20 a month for HBO or HBO Now. That means there are many more people who can watch MNF and all they contribute is ad views. Anyone watching GoT is paying around $20 per MONTH just to do so. Do the math… 10m viewers for GoT brings in much more income than 11.4m for football… by a lot.
JoeQuote Reply
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