The show’s UK broadcaster sees bumper figures… and makes episode 1 free to view via YouTube. 

Based on George R.R. Martin’s boom Fire & Blood, House of the Dragon, the new Westeros-set show takes place some 200 years before the events of Game of Thrones. However, thanks to viewing figures being trumpeted by Sky, the prequel show is building on its predecessor’s audience.

House of the Dragon‘s recent premiere episode on Sky Atlantic apparently drew in a audience of over 4 million.

Let’s break that down

The figure of 4.08 million includes all the viewings of the opener. That includes the linear premiere, catch up viewers through Sky on Demand and those on the NOW streaming service. Plus, customers catching up on their recordings too.

Putting it into some perspective, the 7-day cumulative figure for episode 1 is 3.78 million. That’s bigger than the launch figure for Game of Thrones in 2011, and ahead of all the 28-day launch figures for Game of Thrones‘ seasons 1 – 5.

In a move which might just keep the story going, Sky have now chosen to make episode 1 available to view via YouTube in the UK. It does, quite appropriately, require age verification.

Momentum

A clearly chuffed Zai Bennett, Sky’s MD of Content, said:

“Momentum around House of the Dragon just continues to build, as more and more people spread the word about its ever-current narrative of political power play married with visuals of epic scale and imagination. And thanks to Sky making the first episode freely available to watch via YouTube, more people than ever before will be able to sample the world-class world of Westeros.”

House of the Dragon drops on HBO in the US on Sundays.

In the UK, on Sky Atlantic, that translates to the early hours… and the more reasonable 9 pm on Mondays.