TV Ratings: ‘Game of Thrones’ Snags Another Record, Eclipses Recent ‘True Blood’

HBO may have a new king. In the fifth episode of its third season, Game of Thrones hit another personal ratings best — its fourth of the season.

Sunday’s episode raked in 5.35 million viewers, up 9 percent from the prior week’s record 4.9 million viewers. Across all plays for the night, the series brought in 6.7 million viewers.

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The growth puts Game of Thrones in a very good position to move into True Blood‘s previously unchallenged status as HBO’s top performer. Sunday’s episode topped all original episodes of True Blood‘s 2012 season, including its 5.2-million-strong opener.

In gross viewership, Game of Thrones is also on track to grow by at least 15 percent this season. Its current cumulative average — including originals, repeat broadcasts, DVR, HBO Go and On Demand — puts it at 13.4 million viewers. That’s up from last season’s 11.6 million average.

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There was other good news on cable Sunday night. Veep raked in 1.3 million viewers in its inaugural broadcast, hitting a season high and ranking behind only the 2012 series premiere (1.38 million).

And on AMC, Mad Men managed to stop the ratings decline it saw in its second and third episodes. Sunday’s episode brought in a steady 2.4 million viewers.

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