House of the Dragon vs Game of Thrones Viewership Stats

Emma BowmanAugust 7, 2024

House of the Dragon vs Game of Thrones Viewership Stats

HBO’s biggest TV series boasts impressive numbers when combining broadcast and Max figures. We compared House of the Dragon and Game of Thrones viewership to see which show is winning the battle.

While the future of streaming services looks uncertain, a digital war is still underway. House of the Dragon, rising from the ashes of the Game of Thrones finale in true Targaryen fashion, is at the forefront.

House of the Dragon Season 2 is the main show on the small screen in 2024, and while it may not live up to many people’s expectations, it certainly opens the door for a Season 3 after it’s over.

However, comparing Game of Thrones at its peak is harder than raising dragons; modern doesn’t always mean more. So here’s how the two shows compare in terms of viewership.

Comparing Peak Viewership Figures

Game of Thrones holds the record for the highest viewership, surpassing House of the Dragon.

Most-watched episode of House of the Dragon: Season 1 Episode 2 (10.2 million)
Most-watched episode of Game of Thrones: Season 8 Episode 6 (19.3 million)

House of the Dragon peaked at 9.9 million viewers on Episode 1 before peaking at 10.2 million on Episode 2.

Audiences had been steady before House of the Dragon premiered, making for an impressive debut. However, the Game of Thrones series finale remains the highest-rated episode in HBO history.

As for the number of seasons for House of the Dragons, the spinoff is said to be half the length of Game of Thrones . That means it’s unlikely to surpass the heights the main series eventually reached.

House of the Dragon Season 1 Viewership Figures Explained

The first episode of House of the Dragon Season 1 was watched by 9.99 million people across linear TV and Max.

House of the Dragon Season 1 Viewership:

Season 1 Episode 1: 9.9 million viewers
Season 1 Episode 2: 10.2 million viewers
Season 1 Episode 10: 9.3 million viewers

One of the reasons streaming is such a difficult business is that companies can be selective about the data they release. Unfortunately, in this case, we don’t have the full picture.

Warner Bros. Discovery declined to share numbers for episodes 3-9. However, the studio confirmed to Variety that total viewership (including cable and streaming) was up 5% for Episode 4, up 3% for Episode 5, and up 3% for Episode 6.

Still, House of the Dragon is an impressive ratings monster, beating out competitors like The Last of Us.

House of the Dragon’s 10th episode, ‘The Black Queen,’ was HBO’s most-watched series finale since Game of Thrones ended in 2019.

House of the Dragon Season 2 Viewership Figures Explained

Season 2 of House of the Dragon drew fewer viewers than season 1, reaching just 7.8 million.

Viewership was down 22% from the season 1 premiere. Part of that was due to linear viewership, with about 1 million fewer people watching the episode on HBO.

On the streaming front, Episode 1 of Season 2 was Max’s biggest streaming day ever, according to Warner Bros. Discovery.

House of the Dragon Season 2 viewership:

Season 2 Episode 1: 7.8 million views
Season 2 Episode 4: 8.1 million views
Season 2 Episode 8: 8.9 million views

The Season 2 finale was the most-watched episode of the season. That’s 14% more than the season premiere.

Season 2 averaged 25 million views per episode, according to HBO. By comparison, Season 1 averaged 29 million views, so that’s a slight decrease.

Game of Thrones viewership numbers explained

The Game of Thrones finale was HBO’s most-watched episode ever, with a total of 19.3 million viewers.

Game of Thrones’ average viewership by season:

Game of Thrones Season 1: 9.3 million
Game of Thrones Season 2: 11.6 million
Game of Thrones Season 3: 14.4 million
Game of Thrones Season 4: 19.1 million
Game of Thrones Season 5: 20.2 million
Game of Thrones Season 6: 25.7 million
Game of Thrones Season 7: 32.8 million
Game of Thrones Season 8: 46 million

Thrones was a blockbuster for HBO, averaging 46 million viewers across its controversial Season 8. It is by far HBO’s best-rated show to date.

Those numbers were shared with Variety, and they combined viewership across linear, on-demand, HBO Go/HBO Now, and other streaming platforms. HBO counted its shows up to 90 days after they premiered on all platforms.

In short, the first Game of Thrones spinoff had a huge viewership, but it couldn’t beat the original in a tourney.

Get ready for HOTD with our guide to the endings of Episode 10 of House of the Dragon , Seven Kingdoms , A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms , or Blood and Cheese . We also have details on all the filming locations of House of the Dragon .

For more, check out our House of the Dragon Season 2 review . You can also find out what happened with the Season 2 ending explained and check out 5 shows like House of the Dragon to watch while we wait for Season 3.

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