When Game of Thrones was still airing on HBO, it was a juggernaut for the cable network, even as fans began to turn on it in later seasons. It’s no surprise, then, that Game of Thrones spin-off House of the Dragon is huge as well.
House of the Dragon’s premiere drew in 9.98 million viewers combined across traditional linear television and HBO Max streaming on Sunday night. HBO says that this is both the largest audience for a new original series in HBO’s history and the largest series launch on HBO Max.
“It was wonderful to see millions of Game of Thrones fans return with us to Westeros last night,” said Casey Bloys, Chief Content Officer for HBO and HBO Max. “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 [author George R.R. Martin and showrunners Ryan Condal and Miguel Sapochnik] have in store for them this season.”