The world’s most pirated TV show has been renewed by HBO. In spite of the fact that Game of Thrones has been streamed by millions of people illegally across the world, the American network have decided to renew the ruthless epic.
The show announced the good news across their Facebook page:
“Raise a glass of Dornish wine. Game of Thrones is renewed for season five and six. Send a raven and spread the word across the realm.”
While HBO are known for renewing TV shows as they make their season premieres, it is unusual that they renew for two seasons at once. That said, HBO President Michael Lombardo acknowledged the show’s unparalleled success:
“Game of Thrones is a phenomenon like no other. David Benioff and D.B. Weiss, along with their talented collaborators, continue to surpass themselves, and we look forward to more of their dazzling storytelling.”
Back To Westeros We Go
The news came during the premiere of Season 4 which reached the highest ratings HBO has seen since the finale of ‘The Sopranos’. The network recorded over 6.6 million viewers with that excluding those who accessed it illegally, which was a very impressive figure.
With over 300,000 people uploading the video it quickly became the most shared show in record time. Season 4’s return episode ‘Two Swords’ was in demand so much so that HBO’s own online catch-up service could not meet the expectations posed by the enormous fan-base.
This may have been caused by the dominance HBO has of the show’s rights. The show is only allowed be streamed (legally) on their player, HBO Go, in the US and Sky Go here. A truly great trump card over their Netflix adversaries who greenly watch on as they continue to break records.
However it was their viewers on this side of the Atlantic that was truly impressive. Sky Atlantic had a ‘simulcast’ with HBO at 2 a.m. for those too eager to wait for its evening slot.
That 2 a.m. broadcast received 537,000 viewers with its later 9 p.m. Monday night showing getting 675,000 viewers.
After the ratings for GoT’s return it’s very easy to understand why HBO renewed for two seasons at once. The long-term future of the show is still up in the air with ramblings of a movie still persisting.
Those rumors have finally been receiving a bit of weight with the show-runners of Thrones doing their first film together after signing on to produce comedy thriller ‘Dirty White Boys’.
Ambassador to Westeros
While there have been plenty of examples of fanatical following of the show it is perhaps the latest one that has to be the most bizarre.
The White House have recently denied a petition requesting the implementation of an Ambassador for the fictional world of Westeros.
The request joins a pile of ridiculous petitions that have been rejected by the U.S government that includes the construction of a Death Star by 2016 and the opening of a Jurassic Park.
Michael Cogley
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