Game of Thrones finale sets Sky viewing record
June 26, 2015
The finale of Season 5 of Sky Atlantic’s Game of Thrones delivered a record audience of 3.1 million in the UK, making it the most-watched Sky entertainment programme ever in Sky homes.
The record-breaking audience figure includes live audiences for the 2am simulcast and 9pm broadcast on June 15th, as well as customers watching their Sky+ recordings and catching up on demand over the next seven days. Sky notes that more fans than ever before enjoyed the flexibility of watching the world’s most talked-about TV show when and where they wanted. When figures for the streaming services Sky Go and NOW TV are taken into account, the total audience will be even higher, it says.
The dramatic finale was exclusive to Sky and online streaming service NOW TV customers and surpassed the series’ opening episode, which averaged 2.7 million viewers for the 9pm broadcast.
Overall, audiences for the latest series of Game of Thrones were up 42 per cent on the prior series. Together with continued success of Sky original drama including Fortitude and Penny Dreadful, the success of the epic fantasy has helped Sky Atlantic increase its share of viewing in Sky homes by 20 per cent year on year.
Anticipation ahead of the premiere of Game of Thrones S5 also contributed to a record-breaking 23 million Sky Box Sets downloads across the 40 episodes of seasons 1-4 from March 1st through May 31st 2015.
Sky’s Managing Director of Content Gary Davey commented: “We know our customers love being able to choose how, where and when they watch their favourite show – whether that’s staying up until 2am for the global simulcast or re-watching every episode from the very beginning – and we’re thrilled to offer them that flexibility. Re-defining the meaning of ‘must-see TV’, we’re proud to be a part of the Game of Thrones phenomenon. In the aftermath of a record-breaking end to the fifth season on Sky, we can’t wait to see what will happen next.”