The Record-Breaker Of Chains: 'Game Of Thrones' Premiere Hits A Record-Breaking 30 Million Views

It appears that is isn't just giants and Euron Greyjoy's c*ck that are huge in Westeros, because HBO's Game of Thrones is enjoying a healthy slice of the Frey pie when it comes to viewing figures.

According to Time Warner's quarterly earnings report (via Entertainment Weekly), the epic Ice and Fire fantasy continues its winning streak of bloodshed, bastards, and the great ratings battle. While our various characters may have their eyes on the Iron Throne, HBO is already sitting pretty on its own pointy chair of network greatness.

Crunching The Numbers

Season 7 of the show may be shorter than our usual run of 10 episodes, but it hasn't stopped soft porn fans everywhere flocking to tune in and see how the next chapter unravels week after week. In particular, the Season 7 premiere "Dragonstone" has broken records everywhere and is about to surpass a monumental 30 million views across the US on all platforms. Now they're the kind of figures that even a frozen army of the undead can't argue with.

Airing to a more than modest 16.1 million viewers on July 16, the various streams and repeats of "Dragonstone" have seen the season opener steadily climb higher up the ladder. Even with the 16.1 million views, the premiere was still the most-watched episode of an HBO show ever.

However, it isn't just the US that is enjoying a record-breaking streak, making a "Name of Thrones." Internationally, a slew of insomniac murder fans tuned in at 2 a.m. to watch "Dragonstone. In the UK, Sky Atlantic reports that it had 4.7 million views after just seven days. While that may not compare to the US figures, it was still a 31% rise in audience figures than the first episode of Season 6. Considering that Season 5 had left us with such a cliffhanger, you would've expected the "Is Jon Snow dead?" debacle to have eclipsed Season 7 for viewing figures.

Elsewhere, HBO Asia saw Taiwanese and Singaporean audiences increase by 25 and 50 percent over last year. However, the big boost for ratings came in Germany, where #GameofThrones saw a 210% increase for those enjoying the show about a bunch of men who no longer have their bratwurst. Italy's figures have increased by 61%, while the snowy backdrop of the North has seen 40% more Russian viewers tune in than Season 6.

Thrones has always done well with its ratings, but launching from a measly 2.2 million for the first episode back in 2011, surely even author #GeorgeRRMartin couldn't have hoped for these dragon-sized statistics. Perhaps the show is just becoming more popular in its twilight, but with the Season 7 finale just weeks away — and standing at a record-breaking 80-minutes long — we can presumably prepare for some major square eyes as we march to war and the final season of the jewel in the HBO crown.

(Source: Entertainment Weekly)