A recent episode of House of the Dragon has garnered significant attention, becoming the most-watched first-night episode of the season. Titled 'The Red Dragon and the Gold,' the episode depicted the Battle at Rook's Rest, a pivotal event from George R.R. Martin's novel Fire & Blood and the broader Game of Thrones/A Song of Ice and Fire universe.
The episode attracted a total of 8.1 million viewers across various platforms on its premiere night, including the on-air broadcast on HBO, replays on HBO, and streaming on HBO Max. This viewership figure marks a season high for the show, surpassing the 7.8 million viewers who tuned in for the season two premiere.
While the show's first-night audience has seen a slight decline this season compared to the previous one, with season one averaging over 9 million viewers, there has been a shift in viewing habits. The on-air viewership for the first three episodes of the current season dropped by 39% compared to season one. However, streaming services have helped offset some of this decline, with the show's total first-night average standing at 7.5 million viewers this season, down by approximately 18% to 20% from season one.
Notably, the season opener of House of the Dragon has continued to attract viewers even after its initial broadcast, with the total viewership growing to 25 million in the three weeks following its premiere. This figure is approaching the season one average of 29 million viewers, as HBO measures viewership for a series for 90 days after the first episode airs.
Warner Bros. Discovery has highlighted that House of the Dragon on HBO Max experienced its most successful week of season two leading up to the recent episode. This suggests that some viewers took advantage of the July 4 holiday to catch up on the series, further contributing to its overall viewership numbers.
