Despite the fact that many viewers were left feeling let down by the conclusion of the blockbuster HBO fantasy series Game of Thrones, it appears that viewers are eager to return to Westeros and learn more about Daenerys Targaryen’s (Emilia Clarke) family history in the upcoming film House of the Dragon. The revelation that the HBO smash show is highly received across the pond adds to the prequel series’ continually strong performance across all platforms. The British broadcaster Sky said this week that the launch of House of the Dragon was the most watched for any HBO series in the UK and the highest-rated debut ever for Sky Atlantic.
The network and UK rating firm Barb report that more than 4 million viewers tuned in to see the season opener, “The Heirs of the Dragon.” This makes the programme as popular in the UK as Stranger Things on Netflix and Obi-Wan Kenobi on Disney+. House of the Dragon continues its winning streak with this statistic: in the United States, the series also fared very well, with 20 million viewers turning in on HBO or HBO Max to watch dragons, family turmoil, and fights over the Iron Throne once more.
Naturally, this resulted in HBO renewing the show for a second season, guaranteeing fans at least one more year of Targaryen bloodshed and dragon flight across the Narrow Sea. In the last week, HBO has made the pilot episode of House of the Dragon available for free on YouTube. Sky UK replicated the choice in an effort to draw more viewers into the show’s world. According to Sky’s MD of Content Zai Bennett, the plan appears to be successful.
“The buzz surrounding ‘House of the Dragon’ is growing as more and more people learn about its timely story of political power play and the enormous size and imaginative graphics that accompany it.
More people than ever before will get a taste of the world-class realm of Westeros since Sky is making the pilot episode available for free on YouTube. In the midst of HBO’s current crisis, the show’s popularity with viewers and subscribers is a bright spot. The programme arrives at a time when public opinion is not particularly favourable towards Warner Discovery’s decisions on the future of HBO Max and Warner Bros. content, and the showrunner, Miguel Sapochnik, has already resigned and will not return for Season 2.
As a result of the lack of a stated future plan, the platform and film studio had to cancel projects, delay highly anticipated releases, and hear complaints from content producers about being ignored. The next instalment of House of the Dragon, titled “King of the Narrow Sea,” will air on Sunday, September 11.