The return to Westeros nearly three years after the Game of Thrones series finale has boasted well for the Warner Bros. Discovery-owned network. Variety reports HBO’s Sunday night premiere of House of the Dragon garnered a record-breaking 9.99 million viewers. This is the largest audience draw for a series premiere in HBO history, including the pre-streaming era.
The total audience included both viewership on the linear network as well as HBO Max, Variety reports, with the series premiere vastly surpassing that of its predecessor. In 2011, the then-new fantasy series garnered 4.2 million viewers for its initial airing. However, across eight seasons, the show tallied 17.9 million viewers making it HBO’s most-watched series of all time. The only series to come close to those number’s was this year’s season of Euphoria.
According to Variety, Sam Levinson’s (The Idol) second season of the melodramatic teen series saw viewership increase throughout the season. However, its premiere episode – which famously ended with a violent attack against the show’s villain Nate Jacobs – only captured 2.4 million viewers. Compared to Ryan Condol’s House of the Dragon, there lies a 76% gap.
“It was wonderful to see millions of ‘Game of Thrones’ fans return with us to Westeros last night,” HBO and HBO Max Chief Officer Casey Bloys said via Variety. “‘House of the Dragon’ features an incredibly talented cast and crew who poured their heart and soul into the production, and we’re ecstatic with viewers’ positive response. We look forward to sharing with audiences what else George, Ryan and Miguel have in store for them this season.”
Set 172 years prior to the events of Game of Thrones, House of the Dragon follows the reign of Viserys Targaryen I as he is faced with selecting a new heir. After a family tragedy, he is forced to either choose between his violently-tempered brother, Daemon; or, break tradition and select his eldest child, Princess Rhaenyra, who would become the first queen upon the Iron Throne. As familial tensions rise, rumors of war are kindled amongst the house that dragons built.
House of the Dragon airs every Sunday evening at 9 p.m. ET on HBO and HBO Max.