The internet was ablaze with comments about Game of Thrones Season 7 Episode 1 on Sunday night, and it turns out viewers were eager to return to the enthralling world of Westeros.

The shocking episode secured 10.1 million viewers during its original broadcast on Sunday night. That was up 1.2 million viewers vs. the drama's previous record set by Game of Thrones Season 6 Episode 10.

In adults 18-49 the show emerged as the biggest show of the night, managing a 4.7 rating. These figures are far from the norm for HBO

The closest recent competitor to Game of Thrones on the premium cable network is Westworld, which averaged 1.8 million viewers and a 0.8 rating in live ratings.

When streaming from DVR and streaming was factored in, the figure swelled to a mammoth 16.1 million viewers. That means the episode was actually up 50 percent vs. Game of Thrones Season 6 Episode 1.

Also, the show broke a record to become the most watched premiere of any HBO series to date. It even broke a record for the highest number of concurrent viewers on HBO Go and HBO Now.

The closest competition for Game of Thrones on cable on Sunday night was Starz' Power, which managed 1.7 million viewers and a 0.7 rating. Considering the ratings, it makes perfect sense that HBO is eyeing a spin-off.

Game of Thrones will return for just one more season after this one, so the network will be looking to extend the franchise as long as they possibly can.