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‘House Of The Dragon’ Season 2 Debuts To 7.8 Million Viewers—Down 22% From Show’s Premiere

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‘House Of The Dragon’ Season 2 Debuts To 7.8 Million Viewers—Down 22% From Show’s Premiere

Topline

The second season premiere of HBO’s popular “House of the Dragon,” a spin-off of the “Game of Thrones” series, drew 7.8 million viewers to the HBO cable channel and Max streaming service Sunday night, Warner Bros. Discovery says, a 22% drop from those who turned in for the series premiere in 2022.

Key Facts

The first episode of Season 2, which aired at the same time as the Tony Awards, is more than 2 million viewers behind the 10 million that tuned into the “House of the Dragon” series premiere on its Sunday night debut almost two years ago.

When it first premiered, “House of the Dragon” became the largest series premiere in HBO history, according to the network, and HBO at the time said day-of viewership for Sunday night shows usually equates to only 20% to 40% of a show’s total audience.

Within three months of the initial release, HBO reported the first season ended up averaging 29 million viewers to be the most-watched show since “Game of Thrones” at the time (it was later beaten by “The Last of Us“).

Despite the fall, the second season still greatly outpaced its predecessor show’s initial live viewership—”Game of Thrones” premiered in 2011 to 4.15 million viewers (within 90 days, average viewership had risen to 9.3 million per episode).

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Surprising Fact

Sunday gave Max its largest single day audience to date, according to Warner Bros. Discovery. It broke streaming records in Latin America as the largest launch for Max in the region (the streaming platform just launched there in February) and was the biggest Season 2 launch ever for Warner Bros. Discovery in Europe (Max launched in 20 new European countries on May 21).

Big Number

1 million. That’s how many people watched the first season of “House of the Dragon” in the days before the Season 2 premiere, according to Warner Bros. Discovery.

Key Background

House of the Dragon” is based on George R.R. Martin’s books and the events take place 200 years before “Game of Thrones.” The show focuses on the rivalry between two perceived heirs, Rhaenyra Targaryen (Emma D’Arcy) and her half brother, King Aerys II Targaryen (Tom Glynn-Carney), commonly called the Mad King in the original “Game of Thrones” series. The show is similar to its predecessor in its violence and sexual undertones, and the second season’s first episode drew some criticism for its gruesome nature and the ways in which it varied from the original events of the novel “Fire & Blood.”

What To Watch For

A third season. HBO announced it had renewed “House of the Dragon” for a third season days before the Season 2 premiere.

Tangent

HBO launched a massive marketing campaign ahead of the Season 2 premiere in New York City. The “Raise Your Banners” campaign saw massive flags—representing “Team Green” (supporters of Aegon Targaryen) and “Team Black” (Rhaenyra Targaryen supporters)—fly from the Empire State Building, New York Stock Exchange, Rockefeller Center, Grand Central Terminal and Citi Field. A viral CGI stunt saw videos depict the same massive banners flying from the Brooklyn and Manhattan Bridges, Eiffel Tower in Paris, Sugarloaf Mountain in Rio de Janeiro, Sydney Harbor and other landmarks. On Sunday, a 270-foot installation of Vhagar the Dragon was installed coiling around the mast of the Empire State Building.

Further Reading

ForbesHere’s Why Fans Are Upset About That Brutal ‘House Of The Dragon’ Season 2 Premiere EndingBy Erik KainForbesThe Only ‘House Of The Dragon’ Season 1 Recap You Need To Watch Before Season 2 TonightBy Paul TassiForbes‘Bridgerton’ Dominates Streaming Ratings In May-But ‘Young Sheldon’ Captures More Viewers OverallBy Mary Whitfill RoeloffsForbesAmazon’s ‘Fallout’ Beat Everything Else On Streaming Last MonthBy Mary Whitfill Roeloffs

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