The first episode of the final season of "Game of Thrones" is a record-breaker for the series and HBO. The pay channel said the 17.4 million viewers who watched Sunday's episode either on TV or online represent a season-opening high for the fantasy saga. The final season premiere was the biggest broadcast in HBO history and the most-watched scripted entertainment program of 2019. The latest episode surpassed the 16.1 million viewers for the season seven premiere and the 16.9 million who watched the season seven finale. "Game of Thrones" ultimately averaged 32.8 million viewers per episode last season in cumulative TV and online viewership. The channel says HBO Now also posted its biggest streaming night ever on Sunday. "Game of Thrones" six-episode final season will wrap up on May 19.