Record-breaking Game Of Thrones bids emotional farewell in epic finale

Seattle: After eight epic years and 47 Emmys, Game of Thrones said an emotional goodbye Sunday to devotees of one of the most popular shows in television history.

The blood-spattered tale of noble families vying for the Iron Throne wrapped with the 73rd and final episode of a ratings juggernaut that has demolished audience records worldwide and redefined weekly “event TV” for the instant-gratification Netflix generation.

And while millions watched at home thousands celebrated and mourned the show’s end in banqueting halls and back yards from Alaska to Armenia.

Airing in 170 countries under its portentous tagline, “Winter is Coming,” the show is also the most expensive ever, with a budget of $15 million per episode.

The show features an ensemble cast that included Emilia Clarke, Kit Harrington, Charles Dance, Sean Bean, Jim Broadbent and Diana Rigg.

Season six was the first to move beyond the source material, George R.R. Martin’s “A Song of Ice and Fire” novels, and carve its own path.

The season seven finale set an all-time US record for premium cable TV, with 16.5 million people watching live or streaming on the day of transmission and 15 million more tuning in later. The HBO show was also an awards circuit darling, becoming the most decorated fictional series in history.