Yes, Game 7 of the NBA Finals on ABC absolutely crushed the “live” viewing of HBO’s “Game of Thrones,” as expected, but HBO’s “Battle of the Bastards” episode still managed to beat its previous episode even against the tough competition.
“Game of Thrones” hauled in 7.660 million total viewers on Sunday, up from 7.600 million a week before. That total also topped the season’s Live + Same Day Nielsen average of 7.562 million overall audience members.
The high-water mark for “GoT” this season is still the premiere episode, which earned 7.944 million viewers. The fifth episode of this run, No. 55 overall, is the current runner-up this season.
“Thrones” ticked up this weekend in the millennial demographic — adults 18-34 — but same-day tune-in decreased among households. That latter point is to be expected given the hysteria surrounding the winner-take-all Game 7. It is reasonable to assume that torn living rooms across the country prioritized the live sporting event over a drama they could record.
HBO prefers to wait for DVR and additional multiplatform viewing to come in before reporting its TV ratings, holding out for a more-inclusive and more impressive figure. And that’s fair.
For an admittedly unfair comparison, the Cleveland Cavaliers clincher scored 30.8 million total viewers — the biggest tune-in for championship series since Michael Jordan last won a ring in 1998.
'Game of Thrones': What's Next For the North After Ramsay's Death (Photos)
(Spoiler warning: Don't read unless you're caught up on "Game of Thrones")
Since the death of Robb Stark, Ramsay Bolton has been the core around which events in the North on "Game of Thrones"revolved. Every storyline in that region came from other characters reacting to Ramsay's horrid atrocities. Now that he has been killed off and Sansa and Jon have Winterfell, things get much more complicated moving forward.
HBO
For starters, there's the matter of what to do with Jon Snow. It would seem that he is using his death and resurrection as a loophole out of his service to The Night's Watch ("Night gathers, and now my watch begins. It shall not end until my death."). Despite his reluctance to lead and the fact he nearly got everyone killed, a speech by Lyanna Mormont led to Jon becoming the new King in the North.
HBO
But Jon's reign is a tenuous one. Bran Stark, the true heir to Winterfell (though presumed dead), has discovered that Jon is the son of Lyanna Stark and Rhaegar Targaryen. Depending on what Bran does with this information, it could mean bad news for Jon and a massive shakeup of the status quo in the North.
Speaking of status quo shakeups, what about the Free Folk? Thanks to Jon, Tormund and his kin are no longer held back by the Wall and are now living among noble houses that will surely resent their presence. Perhaps the wildlings could find a new home in the lands that once belonged to the Boltons, but how long could Jon maintain an uneasy peace when there is still so much prejudice between the wildlings and kneelers?
HBO
Petyr Baelish saved the day at the Battle of the Bastards with his reinforcements, but everything Littlefinger does comes at a price. He claims he wants the Iron Throne with Sansa at his side. Sansa rebuffed him, only for Littlefinger to point out that she by all rights should be in charge, not Jon.
HBO
When Jon was declared King in the North, Sansa and Littlefinger shared a meaningful look at each other. Is Baelish in Sansa's head. Could she and Jon soon be working against each other?
HBO
There's also another little secret Sansa doesn't know about Littlefinger: his involvement in the capture and death of her father, Ned. Sansa already has trust problems with Littlefinger after his schemes led to Sansa being raped by Ramsay. If she learns that he sold her father out in an attempt to gain power with the Lannisters, the relationship between the two could get ugly very quickly.
HBO
Thanks to Arya, Walder Frey is now dead, along with his sons. That means that Riverrun is without a man in charge, though still technically under Lannister control. Will the Stark or Targaryen forces move to grab it?
HBO
As for Arya, what's next for her? She will no doubt attempt to return to Winterfell at some point. After working independently through much of the series, what role would Arya play if she ends up being reunited with the sister with whom she once had no shared interests? Or maybe she will take a detour, and end up reuniting with a certain Hound...
HBO
We are also now closer than ever to finally seeing Daenerys and her dragons make their grand arrival to Westeros. While she has Tyrion and Varys on her side to help her gain allies, Jon and Sansa will likely be considered major obstacles in the campaign to restore the Targaryens to power. Could a collision between some of the most popular characters in the series be ahead?
HBO
But the biggest question of all is this: How will everyone in Westeros deal with the coming of the White Walkers? It has been put off for quite some time now, but one of the Starks' motives behind retaking Winterfell was to unite the North in the face of this oncoming threat. With so many dead after the last battle, are there enough forces left to save the Seven Kingdoms?
HBO
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Jon and Sansa may have Winterfell again, but things are only going to get tougher for them next season
(Spoiler warning: Don't read unless you're caught up on "Game of Thrones")
Since the death of Robb Stark, Ramsay Bolton has been the core around which events in the North on "Game of Thrones"revolved. Every storyline in that region came from other characters reacting to Ramsay's horrid atrocities. Now that he has been killed off and Sansa and Jon have Winterfell, things get much more complicated moving forward.
HBO
HBO
