It appears that history may repeat itself as House of the Dragon, HBO’s Game of Thrones prequel series, continues to grow its viewership each week. Variety reports the Sunday night fantasy drama has etched out a steady average of 29M viewers per episode across all platforms. That data includes viewers who watch on HBO proper, and stream live via HBO Max.
The series, now in its fifth week, experienced a 3% increase in viewership compared to last week, according to Variety. Premiering on August 21, the show opened with a whopping 10M viewers – a record-breaking stat for any HBO series premiere. Since then it has continued to grow its reach despite a slight drop in viewership on HBO over the Labor Day weekend. The series’ fourth episode, entitled “King of the Narrow Sea,” garnered a 5% increase in viewership. There has been no specific data on how many viewed the fifth episode specifically.
In comparison to its predecessor, the series could aim to meet or perhaps exceed the original’s scope. In its final season, per Variety, Game of Thrones was tallying an average of 44M viewers per episode. The series ended its Emmy-winning run after eight seasons in 2019.
With five episodes left in its initial season, the series looks to hit a narrative shift as two lead characters will be replaced by new actors. The series’ current Alicent Hightower and Rhaenyra Targaryen, played by Emily Carey (Causalty) and Milly Alcock (Upright), will be swapped out for older actors to portray them as adults. Alicent will be played by Slow Horses‘ Olivia Cooke; and, current Iron Throne heir, Rhaenyra, will be played by Emmy D’Arcy (Truth Seekers). As the timeline jumps to see these two daughters of the realm become women, new characters will also be introduced including Aegon Targaryen, Alicent’s son and Rhaenyra’s stepbrother.
New episodes of House of the Dragon air every Sunday night at 9 p.m. on HBO and HBO Max.