In comparison, rival singing competition The Voice premiered Monday and generated 202,000 comments. The Voice premiere, however, won the TV ratings with an average of 12.3 million viewers compared with X Factor's 8.5 million.
A tear-jerking audition of Jessie J's "Who You Are" from Jillian Jensen incited the most activity, with viewers commenting heavily on judge Simon Cowell's reaction. Cowell, who first became a household name in 2002 as the brutally honest judge on American Idol, choked up and admitted he "lost it" for the first time in his life.
At its peak, the emotional moment netted 17,067 comments per minute, Bluefin Labs tells Mashable.
A Twitter battle, pitting Cowell against fellow judges Britney Spears, Demi Lovato and L.A. Reid also helped rake in social engagement. The show had urged fans to vote for their favorite judge with hashtags.
This Bluefin Labs infographic details the buzziest moments of the X Factor premiere.