The Game of Thrones season 8 backlash was thought to hurt House of the Dragon, but the premiere’s ratings prove this isn’t the case. House of the Dragon is a prequel series set nearly 200 years before the Game of Thrones timeline, marking the first official spinoff from the main series. As House of the Dragon explores the Targaryen dynasty at the height of its power and number of dragons, the HBO show’s premise is an exciting addition to the world of Game of Thrones, but was prefaced by heavy skepticism after the original series’ season 8 blunder.
Although Game of Thrones remains one of the biggest TV shows of all time, it also earned the reputation of having one of the most hated endings in TV history. Game of Thrones’ final season was marred by rushing the ending with only 6 episodes compared to the typical 10, swiftly getting rid of the White Walker threat in only one grand episode, and not granting enough time to some of the biggest twists in the characters’ arcs. Season 8 was also criticized for the quality of the conclusion of the arcs in question and a swift end to the seasons-long campaign for the Iron Throne, over-reliance on shock factor, and the lighting quality which made some of the most important episodes almost impossible to see. Following the Game of Thrones series finale, audiences campaigned online for season 8 to be remade, with nearly two million signing a petition to do so.
While some backlash for Game of Thrones season 8 has been considered excessive, those who were angered by the ending had suggested the series’ first spinoff, House of the Dragon, would fail due to the bad taste still left in fans’ mouths. Despite how intense Game of Thrones’ backlash was, HBO’s House of the Dragon hasn’t suffered from the parent show’s failures, leading much of the skepticism and early criticisms to be in vain. Not only has the show received high praise from critics and audiences alike, but the high ratings for House of the Dragon season 1, episode 1 have now set the record for the biggest HBO premiere of all time, with 10 million viewers tuning into the first episode.
Game Of Thrones Was Still Very Popular After Season 8
Despite the Game of Thrones ending being unsatisfying for many, this didn’t stop new viewers from watching the series or long-time viewers from rewatching it from the beginning. In July 2022, it was confirmed that Game of Thrones was still HBO’s most in-demand show on HBO Max three years after its divisive ending. In a chart of the share of demand for HBO/HBO Max’s top 10 series (via The Wrap), Game of Thrones was the favorite for the month of June 2022. Several years after it ended and fans claimed to jump ship, Game of Thrones' success still accounted for 4% of the demand against shows like Euphoria, Our Flag Means Death, and The Sopranos – each of which held no more than 2.7% of the demand. Even in April 2022, Game of Thrones was second-in-demand for HBO Max after South Park, with the numbers proving that its popularity has truly never waned.
Considering Game of Thrones also holds the title of being the most heavily-pirated show of all time, the numbers reported on HBO and HBO Max are a vast understatement of its true popularity. In June 2020, over a year after the finale, Game of Thrones continued to lead TV piracy numbers over shows such as The Walking Dead, Rick and Morty, and The Mandalorian (via Observer). Game of Thrones then reclaimed the piracy crown again in July 2022, shortly before the premiere of House of the Dragon.
House Of The Dragon Proves Game Of Thrones Season 8 Didn't Kill The Show
House of the Dragon’s record-breaking premiere for HBO is just another source of proof that Game of Thrones season 8’s backlash never killed the show or larger franchise. For starters, book readers are still waiting for George R.R. Martin’s version of Game of Thornes’ ending, leading many to not give up on the story quite yet. With new writers, showrunners, and more involvement from Martin himself, House of the Dragon was largely separating itself from Game of Thrones season 8's shortcomings, and was clearly enough to reel highly skeptical viewers back in. With 10 million viewers tuning into the premiere, House of the Dragon doubled the number of live viewers who watched the Game of Thrones series premiere back in 2011. Considering a significant portion of House of the Dragon’s record-setting viewership numbers can be reasonably attributed to the returning Game of Thrones audience, season 8’s failures weren’t enough to kill interest in the franchise.
House Of The Dragon's Viewing Numbers Are Probably Bigger Than We Know
The official number for House of the Dragon’s premiere viewership is reported at 9.986 million, but this is a greatly underestimated figure of the true ratings. With Game of Thrones still being one of the most heavily pirated shows of all time, it’s reasonable to assume that House of the Dragon will carry on this legacy. In fact, House of the Dragon’s premiere had leaked online several hours before it was officially released on HBO and HBO Max, meaning there are perhaps hundreds of thousands (or more) who watched the episode but didn’t contribute to the official figures. Following the positive House of the Dragon episode 1 reception, HBO Max will also likely see an uptick in subscriptions from those who canceled HBO after Game of Thrones ended.
New episodes of House of the Dragon release Sundays on HBO and HBO Max.