It may not have went out on the highest note creatively, with the series finale (and indeed the entire final season) of Game of Thrones dividing fans, but ‘The Iron Throne’ certainly proved to be a hit for HBO in terms of viewership.
As it had done already on several occasions in the eighth and final season, this past Sunday’s episode set a brand new ratings record not just for Game of Thrones but for HBO overall, with 19.3 million viewers tuning in to see how the epic fantasy series came to an end.
Although it has come in for some pretty heavy criticism, with much of the vitriol aimed towards showrunners David Benioff and D.B. Weiss for “rushing” the final two seasons, Game of Thrones still managed huge numbers this year, with HBO stating that the six episodes average almost 45 million viewers apiece once you take into account DVR and streaming.
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While Game of Thrones is over, we do have a potential prequel spinoff to look forward to, with production on a pilot set to take place this summer. However, HBO president Casey Bloys has ruled out any sequels, disappointing any fans who may have been holding out hope of a West of Westeros or Queen of the North spinoff.
Originally published May 23, 2019. Updated May 24, 2019.
