A staggering number of viewers tuned in to play the Game of Thrones on Sunday night.

The second season premiere of this HBO drama garnered 3.9 million households, an incredible 74 percent increase over the series premiere and a 59 percent increase over the season one average.

Including replays, 6.3 million people watched the opener on Sunday night, all but guaranteeing a season three renewal. Such news may come as early as today.

Comparing Game of Thrones to a couple other cable offerings this week: the season two premiere The Killing earned 1.8 million viewers, while the latest episode of Mad Men drew in 2.9 million.

Matt Richenthal is the Editor in Chief of TV Fanatic. Follow him on Twitter and on Google+.