Ratings for Game of Thrones rise with “Book of the Stranger”

From a ratings perspective, Game of Thrones is having its strongest season yet. It started with a bang, when “The Red Woman” pulled in 7.94 million live viewers. It dropped off a little but held steady for the next two episodes, and with “Book of the Stranger,” it’s scored another big hit. According to Spoiler TV, “Book of the Stranger” pulled in 7.82 million live viewers, which means it’s the fourth highest-rated episode in the show’s history (behind “Mother’s Mercy,” “The Wars to Come,” and “The Red Woman”).

You can’t look away from this.

True, no episode of Season 6 has yet cleared the 8 million viewer mark, a feat achieved by both the premiere and finale of Season 5. Still, it’s remarkable how consistent viewership has been this year. Season 5 started strong, but live viewership dropped into the 6-million range following the premiere and stayed there until much later in the season. (Coincidentally, “Book of the Stranger” got exactly 1 million more live viewers than “Sons of the Harpy,” the fourth episode of Season 5.) No episode of Season 6 has yet dropped below the 7-million mark, and with ratings rising for “Book of the Stranger,” it looks like the show may avoid a mid-season slump. It’s all pretty remarkable for a show in its sixth season.

Game of Thrones’ closest cable competition on Sunday was AMC’s Fear the Walking Dead, which pulled in a respectable 4.49 million live viewers. We’re not yet halfway through Game of Thrones Season 6, but it looks like it’s on track to be the most-watched season yet.