'House of the Dragon' on HBO: Viewership GROWS to 10.2M for Episode 2, torpedoing record-setting premiere
'Game of Thrones' prequel 'House of the Dragon' which was released on Sunday, August 21, 2022, had a booming opening, and if it was a movie then the creators would have been all smiles about the nearly 10 million viewers tuning in. However, the new number of 10.2 million viewership for the second episode broke the first record.
There was a 2 percent increase from the August 21 series premiere, which came in just under 10 million. HBO also says that the series premiere has grown to almost 25 million viewers across platforms in the week since it premiered. The fantasy drama television series and a prequel series to HBO's 'Game of Thrones,' is created by George R R Martin and the showrunners are Ryan Condal and Miguel Sapochnik
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In the second episode, the story leaps ahead by six months, after Rhaenyra is named heir. Daemon occupies Dragonstone, supported by thousands of loyal Gold Cloak guards. Meanwhile, Prince-Admiral Craghas Drahar, known as the Crab Feeder, menaces the Stepstones at the Triarchy's behest. The Small Council presses King Viserys to remarry and propagate his royal line, which risks Rhaenyra's succession status. Rhaenyra's suggestion to show force against Craghas is dismissed, and she is relegated to selecting a new knight for the King's Guard. She chooses the unpopular Ser Criston. As Alicent Hightower continues comforting King Viserys at her father's urging, Lord Corlys Velaryon, husband to Princess Rhaenys, proposes his twelve-year-old daughter, Laena, marry the King. Daemon has stolen a dragon egg to goad Viserys into a confrontation at Dragonstone, but Otto Hightower goes instead. As bloodshed looms, Rhaenyra flies to Dragonstone on her dragon, Syrax, and retrieves the egg from Daemon peacefully. Her disobedience angers the king, prompting a heartfelt discussion about Queen Aemma and his remarriage. Ultimately, Viserys announces that he will wed Alicent, shocking and angering both Rhaenyra and Corlys. Thus Corlys seeks out Daemon to form an alliance at the end of the episode.
Although HBO doesn’t break down its cumulative audience figure by platform, the final Nielsen ratings for Sunday will tell the size of the on-air segment of the viewership. Sadly, it won’t be released until Tuesday morning. The good news for the fans is that the premium cable outlet has already renewed 'House of the Dragon' for a second season. The third episode, 'Second of His Name' will air on Sunday, September 4, 2022, on HBO which you can either stream on HBO Max or Disney+