HBO renews ‘Dragon House’ after over 20 million views of the first episode

HBO renews announced on Friday that the Game of Thrones prequel House of the Dragon had been renewed for a second season.

According to Nielsen and preliminary data compiled by HBO renews, the announcement comes after more than 20 million people watched the first episode. The show garnered nearly 10 million views across linear platforms. And HBO Max on the night of its release last Sunday. It was the largest audience of any new original series in HBO history.

A spin-off of HBO’s hit Game of Thrones, the show is set centuries before the popular series.

It was originally shot for a 10-episode season in 2019. The show’s success is closely watched, as many see it as a barometer of HBO’s success in the streaming wars. Warner Bros. Discovery cut costs also revised its strategy at HBO, including removing shows. Also movies from the platform, to better align its offerings. These steps preceded the merger of HBO Max with Discovery+.

The House of the Dragon debut also comes as Amazon approaches the premiere of The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power.