Game of Thrones season 6 ratings: Show brought in 25.1 million viewers on average per episode

Viewing numbers include HBO On Demand and HBO NOW

Kit Harington has signed up for another two seasons of Game of Thrones - providing Jon Snow doesn't die again

It should come as no surprise that season six of Game of Thrones was one of the most watched TV shows ever, but the sheer number of viewers is quite staggering.

According to HBO, overall, an average 25.1 million people watched each episode, the number including terrestrial viewers, digital recordings, HBO On Demand and HBO GO/HBO NOW.

The huge number marks a five million viewer increase from the previous year, with almost 40% of people watching via HBO digital platforms - a 91% increase. It should also be noted that these numbers do not include illegal downloads.

Interestingly, fans of the series are increasingly watching through digital platforms, a hugely growing market thanks to the likes of Netflix, Amazon Prime, and Hulu.

No doubt the number of digital watchers will once again increase when season seven airs next year. It was recently revealed that, unlike in previous years where the show debuted in April, season seven will start later and only consist of seven episodes.

Meanwhile, shooting locations have been confirmed in Ireland and Iceland, while the showrunners have hinted at a possible spin-off series.