HBO is feeling a sense of deja vu, with the Season 2 finale of their hit Game of Thrones prequel House of the Dragon leaking online early.
More than a dozen clips from the finale – slated to air on HBO and Max on Sunday, August 4 – were posted to a brand new TikTok account on Tuesday, via ComicBook.com.
The videos were captured by someone filming a screen with another device, with the account the videos were posted to having no prior videos before these leaks.
Both the nascent TikTok account and the videos have since been taken down, though it’s unclear how this person was able to access and leak the finale.
Last November, just days before the Season 1 finale was about to air on HBO, the entire episode leaked on torrent sites.
HBO is feeling a sense of deja vu, with the Season 2 finale of their hit Game of Thrones prequel House of the Dragon leaking online early
More than a dozen clips from the finale – slated to air on HBO and Max on Sunday, August 4 – were posted to a brand new TikTok account on Tuesday, via ComicBook.com
While the videos are gone, more than half of clips had more than 100,000 views before they were taken down.
It’s unclear if more leaks are forthcoming as we get closer and closer to the Season 2 finale on Sunday.
If recent history is any indication, the leaks shouldn’t quell viewership on HBO for the Season 2 finale.
HBO revealed that the Season 1 finale leak was likely to have, ‘originated from a distribution partner in the EMEA region.’
The network’s statement added that, ‘HBO is aggressively monitoring and pulling these copies from the internet.’
The statement concluded: ‘We’re disappointed that this unlawful action has disrupted the viewing experience for loyal fans of the show, who will get to see a pristine version of the episode when it premieres Sunday on HBO and HBO Max, where it will stream exclusively in 4K.’
It’s unclear how many people viewed the torrented copy of the Season 1 finale, but it didn’t stop viewers from watching the show in droves.
The Season 1 finale drew in a whopping 9.3 million viewers just a few days later, the largest HBO viewership in three years, since the Game of Thrones finale in May 2019.
While the videos are gone, more than half of clips had more than 100,000 views before they were taken down.
It’s unclear if more leaks are forthcoming as we get closer and closer to the Season 2 finale on Sunday
If recent history is any indication, the leaks shouldn’t quell viewership on HBO for the Season 2 finale
The Season 1 finale drew in a whopping 9.3 million viewers just a few days later, the largest HBO viewership in three years, since the Game of Thrones finale in May 2019
What was even more impressive about the numbers is the show faced some steep competition from high-profile broadcasts.
Also airing at the same time was NBC’s Sunday Night Football and Fox’s ALCS game between the Houston Astros and New York Yankees.
The Season 2 premiere back in mid-June drew in 7.8 million viewers, nearly a 25% drop from the 10 million who tuned into the series premiere in August 2022.
House of the Dragon has already been renewed for a third season, though it’s unclear when that may debut on HBO.
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