NEW YORK -- HBO's "Game of Thrones" smashed another audience record Sunday with the finale of Season 7. Nielsen says an all-time high of 12.1 million viewers were tuned in to the wildly popular fantasy drama. An additional 4 million caught the episode on streaming channels.

The seven-episode season began with 10.1 million viewers, while episode 5 drew 10.7 million.

This season "Game of Thrones" has regularly ranked as the second-most-viewed series each week among all programs, both cable and broadcast. Its eighth and final season is scheduled to air next year.