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'Game of Thrones' prequel 'House of the Dragon' breaks viewership records for HBO, fans say 'real television' is back

'House of the Dragon' is the biggest series premiere ever in the history of HBO and fans believe that FIRE WILL REIGN again
UPDATED AUG 23, 2022
Matt Smith (Prince Daemon Targaryen) and Milly Alcock (Princess Rhaenyra Targaryen) in 'House of the Dragon' (HBO)
Matt Smith (Prince Daemon Targaryen) and Milly Alcock (Princess Rhaenyra Targaryen) in 'House of the Dragon' (HBO)

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: The first episode of ‘House of the Dragon’ exceeded all the expectations and had all the ingredients for becoming one of the most riveting shows of all time. Set 172 years before the birth of Daenerys Targaryen, the ‘Game of Thrones’ prequel primarily focuses on House Targaryen and their reign in Westeros. Looks like fans were really excited to go back to the extraordinary world of ‘GOT’ as the show seems to have created a new viewership record for HBO.

According to the network, the prequel series drew nearly 10 million viewers across all the platforms in the US, making it the biggest premiere ever in the history of HBO. These figures indicate that the latest HBO series has edged past ‘Euphoria’ to have the best single-night tally. The finale of ‘Euphoria’ Season 2 aired on February 27 and saw 6.6 million people tuning in to watch the particular episode across various platforms. However, the record of having the largest single-night audience still belongs to ‘Game of Thrones’. The series finale drew 19.3 million viewers in May 2019, setting a record for the network.

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Paddy Considine (King Viserys) and Milly Alcock (Young Princess Rhaenyra) in 'House of the Dragon' (HBO)
Paddy Considine (King Viserys) and Milly Alcock (Young Princess Rhaenyra) in 'House of the Dragon' (HBO)

The announcement from HBO comes a few hours after Samba TV revealed that a total of 2.6 million viewers tuned in to watch the premiere of the ‘House of the Dragon’ between 9 pm – 3 am EST on HBO and HBO Max.

As soon as the aforementioned numbers surfaced online, fans didn’t waste much time reiterating how good the first episode was. They flooded social media with extraordinary reactions and applauded HBO and the makers for an exceptionally well-stitched universe. One of the fans wrote, “The most popular IP in series. Great marketing and the AMAZING first episode with great actors. Well deserved the new king of television after GoT is already here. And remember that HBO was always the main brand and gold standard for series.” Another fan noted, “When real television comes back.” Another social media user wrote, “Laughing at all the internet losers who honestly thought Game of Thrones was dead because of S8. The premier was very good and it’s apparently only supposed to get better. I can’t wait.”



 



 



 

“It deserves it, it was one of, if not the best premiere of a TV show I have ever seen 10/10 excellent, magnificent, glamorous, masterpiece, piece of art,” wrote another one. “Real Television is back!” tweeted another one. “Congrats, the episode was great. The acting, costumes, and cinematography were top-notch,” said another fan.



 



 



 

As per HBO, the figures mentioned above represent just 20%-40% of the show’s total gross audience and it’s possible that a detailed report about the numbers might come out in the upcoming days, which would make it easier to understand how many people watched the premiere on HBO and how many watched it on streaming.

The first episode of ‘House of the Dragon’ has laid a strong foundation and gives viewers a deeper look into the world of House Targaryen. The premiere included everything that made ‘Game of Thrones’ such a popular series. From politics and betrayals to gruesome sequences and Dragons, the show had it all in the right amount. The episode concluded with King Viserys I Targaryen announcing Princess Rhaenyra Targaryen as his heir to the Iron Throne. Although everyone has promised to take her as the new ruler of Westeros, things might change when Viserys actually dies.

A still from 'House of the Dragon' (HBO)
A still from 'House of the Dragon' (HBO)

'House of the Dragon' Season 1 returns to HBO with a new episode every Sunday at 9 pm EST. 

This article contains remarks made on the Internet by individual people and organizations. MEAWW cannot confirm them independently and does not support claims or opinions being made online.

RELATED TOPICS GAME OF THRONES (2011) HOUSE OF THE DRAGON (2022)
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