Given its popularity, it's difficult to go far without bumping into Game of Thrones in one way or another--a reality that's reflected in the show's ratings. Last night's Season 7 finale, "The Wolf and the Dragon," was not just the show's longest ever, but also its highest rated.

　　Nielsen figures for Season 7, Episode 7, have been released, and it continues to be no surprise why HBO is pursuing spin-offs. The episode saw 12.1 million viewers on TV, comfortably beating Season 7, Episode 5's all-time record set earlier this month. It's also up substantially from even last year's season finale, which drew 8.9 million viewers.

　　According to The Hollywood Reporter, the show saw 16.5 million viewers when combining live TV and night-of streams. For the season overall, episodes have averaged 31 million viewers when combining live, on-demand, time-shifted, and streaming figures, which is up a whopping 34% from Season 6. The show was setting records even amidst a number of leaks.

　　Season 7 was the show's first to not run 10 episodes. It was one that troubled some viewers with the way it inconsistently dealt with time, although the finale made up for all of that. It also saw the death of a major character, which the showrunners have since discussed. There's not yet a premiere date for the eighth and final season, but it's unlikely to be any sooner than late 2018. In the meantime, HBO has debuted a new behind-the-scenes Game of Thrones show called The Game Revealed.