The Game Of Thrones prequel House Of The Dragon has got off to a great start as HBO announces the premiere was their most watched new show ever in Europe.
It seems that there is still a lot of interest in the world of Westeros. House Of The Dragon, the prequel to Game Of Thrones, has become HBO and HBO Max’s most watched premiere in Europe in the streamer’s history. While the streamer doesn’t release official viewing figures for Europe specifically, 10 million people tuned in to watch the first episode on Sunday in the US. HBO Max is available in a total of 21 countries in Europe and, clearly, those countries loved House Of The Dragon. As reported by Deadline, the premiere was “by far the biggest launch and the number of viewers exceeded all expectations,” according to HBO Max.
House Of The Dragon charts the rise of the Targaryens – ancestors of Khaleesi herself, Daenerys Targaryen, a major player in Game Of Thrones and a fan favourite until the last season – and is set roughly 200 years before the events of Game Of Thrones. The series has been eagerly awaited by fans and it seems that the wait has been handsomely rewarded as the series has been critically acclaimed already, with many praising it as a return to form.
For many, the last season of Game Of Thrones went off the rails and lead to a disappointing conclusion to one of the most popular and epic TV shows of all time.
A video of several people watching the premiere of House Of The Dragon at the same time in their apartment building has gone viral this week, showing just how culturally huge the moment was. In the era of binge watching and streaming, it’s rare for people to collectively tune in at the same time to watch something these days.
House Of The Dragon airs on Sky Atlantic in the UK and here too, the show smashed another viewing record. Nearly 1.4 million pairs of eyeballs watched the premiere, a new record for Sky Atlantic, overtaking the original Game Of Thrones. Nearly a million viewers stayed up until 2am to watch the premiere simultaneously with our friends in the US.
It seems that there is still a lot of interest in the world of Westeros. House Of The Dragon, the prequel to Game Of Thrones, has become HBO and HBO Max’s most watched premiere in Europe in the streamer’s history. While the streamer doesn’t release official viewing figures for Europe specifically, 10 million people tuned in to watch the first episode on Sunday in the US. HBO Max is available in a total of 21 countries in Europe and, clearly, those countries loved House Of The Dragon. As reported by Deadline, the premiere was “by far the biggest launch and the number of viewers exceeded all expectations,” according to HBO Max.
Matt Smith in House of the Dragon
