Game of Thrones was one of the biggest television series in history. It had viewers enthralled for many years, but for many the way it ended left a sour taste in the mouth. Therefore, HBO knew a spin-off series would be a hard sell for many viewers who felt the original was let down towards the end. House of the Dragon is meant to be a new invigorating series for the company, with the strategy being to get as many HBO Max subscribers as possible as a result. But due to the muted nature of the end of Game of Thrones, HBO has decided to offer the first episode of House of the Dragon for free on YouTube to entice viewers to subscribe to HBO Max.
Read: Barclays fully leaves Africa with exit from Absa Group
If you want to check out the first episode before making the purchasing decision, you can now watch it on YouTube.
Of course, this is another way for HBO to take as many eyes as possible away from Amazon’s new Lord of the Rings spin-off, The Rings of Power which launched this week. The Rings of Power is meant for a different audience, however. Amazon’s Lord of the Rings series has a TV-14 rating, which means it should be appropriate for young teenagers.
Following the machinations of House Targaryen, House of the Dragon is set nearly 200 years before the events of the main Game of Thrones saga, but has already featured plenty of references to the older show. From prophecies of endless winter to a certain Valyrian Steel dagger, there’s a lot to look out for. House of the Dragon is filled with sex, violence, and cursing, as was its predecessor.
What do you think about the first couple of episodes of House of the Dragon? Let us know in the comments below.
