Game of Thrones Finale Smashed HBO Record

The controversial finale of Game of Thrones has managed to knock Tony Soprano off the ratings equivalent of the Iron Throne. Sunday night's episode had 13.6 million viewers when it aired at 9pm, breaking the record set by the fourth-season premiere of The Sopranos in 2002, which had 13.43 million viewers, per the Hollywood Reporter. The Thrones finale figure rises to 19.3 million viewers when replays and early streaming are included, which breaks a record set just a week earlier by the previous episode, the Wall Street Journal reports. The Game of Thrones audience has increased every season and when delayed viewing on all platforms is factored in, the final season's episodes have averaged 44.2 million viewers, making it the most popular show in HBO history. (A prequel is in the works.)