Even online pirates couldn’t stop HBO on Sunday night, with Game of Thrones scoring a series-best opener with the debut of season five, even with the first four episodes available online.

7.99 million viewers tuned in on Sunday, up from the 6.6 million who watched last year’s premiere. Of those, 5.32 million were in the advertiser-coveted 18-49 demographic, even though there are no advertisers on HBO.

That’s also up from the 7.1 million who watched last season’s finale episode in June.

HBO indicated that the leak originated with someone who was approved to receive an GoT screener from the network.

“We’re actively assessing how this breach occurred,” HBO said over the weekend.

Two reasons why pirates may not harm the series: Non-subscribers can now watch GoT through OTT platforms HBO Now and Sling TV, and HBO decided to premiere the new season in 170 countries simultaneously.

Read More: Deadline

Brief Take: When even online leaks can’t harm a series, you know you’ve got a winner. HBO’s decision to tie the launch of HBO Now to the show’s season premiere seems to have been wise, and Sunday’s ratings underscore just how vital the series is to HBO’s brand.

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