House of the Dragon finale is HBO’s biggest since Game of Thrones last season

Cameron Frew
A still from the House of the Dragon finale

House of the Dragon Episode 10 has become HBO’s most-watched season finale since the last episode of Game of Thrones.

The final season of Game of Thrones was one of the biggest events in TV history. Would Jon Snow fulfill the prophecy of the Prince Who Was Promised? Would Cersei get her just desserts? Would Daenerys preside over the Seven Kingdoms?

No, no, and definitely not. Yet, for all its disappointment, few shows have matched its pop culture calibre – Stranger Things may be its only real competitor.

However, the legacy of the franchise has been resurrected with House of the Dragon, the Targaryen prequel series that’s been a certifiable smash-hit with critics and audiences alike, especially after the finale.

House of the Dragon finale is HBO’s biggest since Game of Thrones ending

House of the Dragon Episode 10, the Season 1 finale, brought in a whopping 9.3 million viewers, according to Warner Bros. Discovery, as reported by Variety. This includes those who watched the episode live and people who caught it on HBO Max thereafter.

This makes it HBO’s most-watched finale since Game of Thrones’ final episode in 2019, which scored 19.8 million viewers. Interestingly though, House of the Dragon’s finale isn’t its biggest episode overall – that goes to Episode 2, which amassed 10.2 million.

That said, its finale tracks with its previous record: House of the Dragon’s opening episode is HBO’s most-watched series premiere of any original show in its history, and all episodes have been more than tripling their average debut night audience with strong catch-up viewing.”

In a statement, Casey Bloys, chairman and CEO of HBO and HBO Max, said: “We’re so thrilled to see House of the Dragon catch fire with Game of Thrones fans around the world, as well as new viewers who are discovering the world of Westeros for the first time.

“Congrats to George, Ryan, Miguel and the whole House of the Dragon team on an incredible first season.”

House of the Dragon Season 1 is available to stream now. For more on Season 2, click here.

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About The Author

Cameron is Deputy TV and Movies Editor at Dexerto. He's an action movie aficionado, '80s obsessive, Oscars enthusiast, and a staunch Scot. He earned a First-Class Honours Degree in Multimedia Journalism from Glasgow Caledonian University, accredited by the NCTJ and BJTC. He began his career at UNILAD, starting as a Junior Journalist and becoming Entertainment Editor prior to joining Dexerto. You can contact him at cameron.frew@dexerto.com.