Game of Thrones initially had been the most pirated show of all time up until its prequel House of the Dragon came in with all guns blazing. Only to take over the number 1 spot from GoT as the most pirated show of all time. With streaming platforms growing in number, combined with their high subscription prices, there ought to be cracks in the walls as people try to get access to their favorite shows and movies without reaching for their wallets.
Although House of the Dragon was initially believed free from piracy by the makers, fans knew very well that the series had gone through numerous leaks and is now known to be the most pirated show in TV history. Hackers have even come to threaten HBO and demand ransom.
Why House of the Dragon Was Susceptible to Piracy
The Season 1 finale of House of the Dragon was leaked online two days before the episode aired on HBO and began to stream on HBO Max. It looks like the leak came from a distribution partner in Europe, the Middle East, or Africa, as a spokesperson of HBO put forward speculation on HBO for the media.
“HBO talks about it in a statement as, “We are aware that the tenth episode of House of the Dragon has been posted on illegal torrent sites. HBO is aggressively monitoring and pulling these copies from the internet. We’re disappointed that this unlawful action has disrupted the viewing experience for loyal fans of the show, who will get to see a pristine version of the episode when it premieres Sunday,”
Game of Thrones, the predecessor to House of the Dragon, also got into the trap of piracy, especially in the final seasons back in 2019. There were so many leaks occurring, that HBO opted to cease offering advance screeners to the press. This still didn’t prevent the problem. In Season 8, every episode was out on pirated sites for people almost a week before the said release of the final season, and the makers at HBO couldn’t do much about it.
After getting to know that HBO doesn’t handle its productions and has zero control over its distribution, it is quite obvious to state that leaks are bound to happen. These not only affect the ratings of the show but also ruins the experience and anticipation of a series with a such high magnitude that builds before every episode. Needless to say, it affects the makers of the show as well.
“An HBO insider reportedly said, “You can say, ‘We’re gonna hold it off and not deliver it,’ but you know what’s going to happen three minutes after we start airing it here? It’s going to start getting pirated.”
Also Read: House Of The Dragon: Episode 2 Game Of Thrones Easter Eggs You Missed
Makers of House of the Dragon Face Trolls Owing to Their Leaks
After the news of the final episode getting leaked got into the media, fans didn’t shy away from reacting to it with memes whilst many had been praying not to receive any spoilers online. People took to Twitter to make memes about the leaks. A user shared an artwork stating the conscious efforts of fans to not watch the pirated version. Check out the tweet,
You are not going to watch the leaked House of the Dragon episode. You are not going to watch the leaked House of the Dragon episode. You are not going to watch the leaked House of the Dragon episode. You are not going to watch the leaked House of the Dragon episode. You are not- pic.twitter.com/qxm9D2JVFA
— Nyrotike (@nyrotike) October 21, 2022
Another popular Twitter handle went on to state that House of the Dragon was the most pirated show in 2022.
#HouseOfTheDragon was the most-pirated show of 2022 pic.twitter.com/7UaWEf0x63
— Culture Crave 🍿 (@CultureCrave) December 30, 2022
Commenting on the tweet a user trolled the makers’ failure to protect the episodes stating they were getting leaked a week prior. Similarly, a few other tweets showed the quick humourous side of users. Have a look at them below:
ofc it was the episodes were getting leaked a week prior pic.twitter.com/HVREpTz76T
— baldgojo (@iixfrozonexii) December 30, 2022
Good habits don’t lose pic.twitter.com/iy1yJccyEz
— Jorge I. Cisneros J. (@jaybingers) December 31, 2022
Never would have guessed. pic.twitter.com/8Picrd9PjG
— luca marx (@LucaMarx111) December 30, 2022
House of the Dragon can be legally streamed on HBO and HBO Max.
Source: Twitter
