"Game of Thrones" Season 6 premiere episode sets new ratings record

"Game of Thrones" returned for its sixth season, and here's how it set a new record.

"Game of Thrones" returned on Sunday, April 24, 2016 for its sixth season with a huge reveal, and new ratings record.

Titled "The Red Woman," the premiere episode came to an end with Melisandre, in the privacy of her quarters, removing her magical necklace to reveal her true form as an ancient crone.

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Melisandre

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Nielsen estimates that 7.944 million watched the premiere telecast on Sunday, the third-largest  audience to date for the show.

The numbers are a bit below its season five 7.997 million premiere numbers and finale 8.112 million numbers.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, the episode was watched by a total of 10.7 million viewers on Sunday night when the flagship channel and online streaming numbers were added up.

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Melisandre - Game of Thrones

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Also, the episode has so far been watched by an estimated 2.2 million people on Sky Atlantic, making it the highest overnight audience the channel has had since its launch in the UK in 2011.

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Jon Snow in "Game of Thrones" 

(HBO )

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The biggest show on TV, "The Walking Dead," recently wrapped up its sixth season with 14.2 million viewers.

Watch a "Game of Thrones" clip below.