The new Game of Thrones spin-off TV series House of the Dragon is finally here, and its first episode attracted a record-breaking audience. So many people watched the premiere in fact, that the epic drama series is now the most-viewed premiere of any HBO show to date, beating the likes of Succession and Euphoria.
The much-anticipated House of the Dragon release date has arrived, with the return to Westeros detailing events in the Targaryen clan over 170 years before the time of Daenerys. With it, comes a whole host of new Game of Thrones characters to connect with, and a fascinating story of familial feuds, power struggle, and of course, lots of violence.
It was believed that the disappointment of the Game of Thrones finale would leave a sour taste in the mouth of many fans, but that clearly wasn’t the case. According to a press release from HBO, the show racked up incredible viewing figures for its premiere.
In fact, House of the Dragon’s opening episode pulled in “the largest audience for any new original series in the history of HBO.” Apparently, 9.986 million people tuned in to episode 1 “across linear and HBO Max platforms in the US Sunday night.”
That becomes even more impressive when you consider the fact UK audiences joined in the fun a day later. For those curious, we’ve detailed all the ways to watch House of the Dragon in our guide about the various channels and streaming services you’ll find the show on.
We loved the first episode here at The Digital Fix, and our House of the Dragon episode 1 review encouraged fans of the original series not to let the poor final season put you off this new endeavour.
For more Westeros content, here’s our guide to when House of the Dragon takes place. If you want more of a big screen adventure, check out our list of the best fantasy movies of all time.