House of the Dragon has enjoyed high viewership since it debuted nearly two weeks ago, and now it seems that HBO Max is celebrating those figures with an unusual move. The streaming giant has decided to upload the entirety of episode one onto its YouTube channel.
House of the Dragon previously boasted the highest-watched series premiere in HBO's history. Nearly 10 million viewers tuned into the premiere episode, more than twice the number of people that tuned into Game of Thrones' first episode back in 2011. In fact, the series did not boast such high figures until its seventh season on the air but famously kept increasing its average number of viewers each season.
Now that House of the Dragon has been renewed for season 2, HBO is likely looking to expand those viewership figures even further. In doing so, they have made episode 1, "The Heirs of the Dragon," available to freely watch on YouTube. To recap for old fans, and to provide a synopsis for those who may want to check out the first episode on YouTube, House of the Dragon's premiere spans nearly a decade of time and begins following a Great Council of the lords of Westeros. It should be noted that the episode is not available on the HBO Max YouTube channel in all countries.
The fifth Targaryen king, Jaehaerys, has a muddied succession following the death of his sons. Due to this, he summons over a thousand lords and implores them to vote on his successor. Ultimately chosen is King Viserys, whose own desire for a son and male heir begins soon after this. Though he and his wife Aemma have a daughter, Rhaenyra, the lords of Westeros have just shown they are reluctant to seat a woman upon the Iron Throne.
Though House of the Dragon can boast a multitude of successes that make it a standout freshman show, it is likely that HBO is attempting to draw in even more viewers to their streaming services. By posting the entire first episode on YouTube for free, HBO ensures that fans are given a taste of the show before having to subscribe to HBO Max if they want to continue watching. House of the Dragon, being its latest and biggest success so far, provides the perfect gateway to allow for such a move to be possible.
It remains to be seen if HBO will try to duplicate this move by posting other offerings on its YouTube channel. House of the Dragon is unique in that it already has a large, built-in fanbase. And while that fanbase is somewhat wary following the contentious last season of Game of Thrones, posting the well-received first episode of House of the Dragon allows those reluctant fans a low-stakes way to check out the series without having to pay for it.
House of the Dragon airs Sundays at 9 PM EST on HBO and HBO Max.
Source: HBO Max/YouTube