HBO's 'House of the Dragon' Debuts to Success, Reels Back Fans for 'Game of Thrones' Prequel

The "Game of Thrones" prequel debuted to record-breaking success.

BRITAIN-ENTERTAINMENT-TELEVISION-PREMIER-CELEBS — Co-creator-writer Ryan Condal poses on the red carpet upon arrival to attend the HBO original drama series "House of the Dragon" premiere at Leicester Square Gardens, in London, on August 15, 2022. (Photo by HOLLIE ADAMS / AFP) / The erroneous mention[s] appearing in the metadata of this photo by HOLLIE ADAMS has been modified in AFP systems in the following manner: [Co-creator-writer Ryan Condal] instead of [Showrunner Josh Bratchley]. Please immediately remove the erroneous mention[s] from all your online services and delete it (them) from your servers. If you have been authorized by AFP to distribute it (them) to third parties, please ensure that the same actions are carried out by them. Failure to promptly comply with these instructions will entail liability on your part for any continued or post notification usage. Therefore we thank you very much for all your attention and prompt action. We are sorry for the inconvenience this notification may cause and remain at your disposal for any further information you may require. (Photo by HOLLIE ADAMS/AFP via Getty Images) HOLLIE ADAMS/AFP via Getty Images

It turns out, "Game of Thrones" fans are still in love with the franchise despite the massive disappointment that was the show's finale back in 2019. Thankfully, the GoT prequel "House of the Dragon" is here to redeem the show and bring in new fans.

"House of the Dragon" premiered on Sunday to "the largest audience for any new original series in the history of HBO," a press release from the network said. According to Gizmodo, that large audience was made up of up to 9.986 million viewers "across linear and HBO Max platforms in the US" on Sunday night.

HBO Banking on 'House of the Dragon' Success Amidst Economic Downturn

HBO and HBO Max have been getting some negative press lately after it announced layoffs of 70 jobs as parent company Warner Bros. Discovery sought to decrease costs. Earlier this month, the Los Angeles Times reported that around 70 people at HBO and HBO Max were losing their jobs, accounting for 14% of chief content officer Casey Bloys's staff.

Moreover, Warner Bros. Discovery's stock had tumbled almost 50% since the company's merger back in April, when Chief Executive David Zaslav promised a $3 billion in cost savings. HBO Max has since been forced to restructure its business to cut down on costs as its parent company improves its overall strategy, which appears to include "House of the Dragon" and a resurgence of the popularity of "Game of Thrones.

HBO's 'House of the Dragon' Might Win Back Dismayed GoT Fans

Following the disappointing finale of "Game of Thrones" in 2019, HBO's "House of the Dragons" appears to be winning back GoT fans. HBO Max said that "Game of Thrones" has closed off its "strongest week" on the streaming service to date, with a "seven-week stretch of week-over-week growth in engagement" ahead of the "House of the Dragons" premiere. It's strong evidence that even the most disillusioned GoT fans are giving the new show a chance.

Ars Technica said that while "Game of Thrones" may have alienated some of its most devoted fans, "House of the Dragon" appears to be rising to the challenge of getting them back. Describing Sunday's episode as an "eminently watchable and entertaining pilot," the report said that it was enough to keep viewers intrigued to tune in to the next episodes.

HBO's "House of the Dragon" is a "Game of Thrones" sequel set 200 years before, shedding light on how House Targaryen's reign came to an end. It is mostly based on George R.R. Martin's "Fire and Blood" novel and features a quick history lesson about Westeros. It also delves into the sexism of how council of lords chose male leaders over a female potential heir despite being capable and deserving.

GoT fans are also treated to amazing action scenes that are led by the pilot's director and co-showrunner Miguel Sapochnik, who worked on some of the most visually stunning battle scenes in "Game of Thrones."