House of the Dragonis proving to be a hit right out of the gate. TheGame of Thronesprequel set 200 years before the events in that show reported record high numbers for an HBO series premiere.
The series, which premiered Sunday, tells the story of House Targaryen, the dragon-riding family that conquered Westeros and established the Iron Throne. The prequel’s predecessor,Game of Thrones, was famous for its high ratings, with every season drawing in more viewers than the last. Expectations forHouse of the Dragonwere therefore high, and it seems to have delivered. PerVariety, Warner Bros. Discovery reports that 9.99 million viewers tuned into the inaugural episode of the series.
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Following reports ofHBO Max crashing after the series premiere, it was a certainty that the show was going to be a ratings success, but this figure places the show as HBO’s most-watched series premiere of all time. For comparison,Game of Thronespremiered to 4.2 million viewers in 2011 and 17.9 million viewers for the premiere of its eighth and final season.Euphoria,HBO’s second most-watched show of all time, premiered to 2.4 million viewers, a figure 76% less than that ofHouse of the Dragon.
In a time when HBO Max has been cutting content left and right, this news bodes well forHouse of the Dragon’s future. The show has already featured a departure fromGame of Thrones' production by more closely involving franchise creator George R. R. Martin. Martin, who has previously stated he does not want toend up like Stan Leein terms of creative control, is a much more active participant behind-the-scenes ofHouse of the Dragon.
Though the series is boasting high numbers, the endurance of its viewership remains to be seen. While episode 1 of the show had a promising beginning, many viewers still harbor negative emotions towardsthe finale ofGame of Thrones. Though they may have been curious to check out the prequel, they’ll have to remain interested to ensure that the show has legs on which to stand.
With HBO trying toturnGame of Thronesinto a lead franchiseof theirs, the show will have to continue to do well in order to sell executives on the feasibility of future projects. Currently, it’s known that a Jon Snow-centered sequel is in the works, as is an adaptation ofTales of Dunk and Egg, which tells the story of Daenerys Targaryen’s great-grandfather and his apprenticeship to a minor knight of the Seven Kingdoms. Ultimately, the fate of these spin-offs lay in the hands ofHouse of the Dragon.
House of the Dragonairs Sundays at 9 PM EST on HBO.
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