> the finale of Games of thrones had 19 million viewers [1], while the books sold 90 million copies [2] Isn't this viewers in one country (USA), versus books s

> the finale of Games of thrones had 19 million viewers [1], while the books sold 90 million copies [2] Isn't this viewers in one country (USA), versus books sold worldwide? > Looking at something similar, the Lord of the Rings had around 80-90 million viewers (very rough estimation from the global box office [3]) while the book sold 150 million copies [4], so the books seem to have fared better. Viewerships in Box-Office are limited to a specific timeframe and location. They do not include television, private viewing on streaming-services/DVD/etc., later screenings in cinemas around the world. And the movies only exist for 20 years, while the booksales are from 3x that timeframe. And finally, those are exceptional successful books and franchises. What about an average book? How many people have seen Forest Gump and how many actually read the book even decades later after the initial hype?