House of the Dragon ratings fly even higher for episode 2, eclipsing record-breaking premiere
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House of the Dragon isn't cooling off yet.
The second episode of HBO's fiery Game of Thrones prequel drew 10.2 million viewers across all platforms Sunday night, the network announced Monday. That marks a 2% increase from the Aug. 21 premiere, which itself set a record as the biggest series opener in HBO history.
As eye-popping as the premiere numbers were, they raised the question of whether House of the Dragon would be able to sustain its momentum. For now, at least, the answer is a resounding yes. HBO also said Monday that the premiere episode, "The Heirs of the Dragon," is approaching 25 million viewers in the U.S. after a week of availability.
Not surprisingly, the series has already been renewed for a second season.
Ollie Upton/HBO Milly Alcock on 'House of the Dragon'
The splashy start of HOTD also seems to be boosting viewership of its predecessor: Game of Thrones was up 30% last week, marking eight straight weeks of growth and making it the No. 2 title on HBO Max last week.
House of the Dragon still has a ways to go before it reaches the ratings heights of Game of Thrones in its prime. The original show steadily built its audience via word of mouth and critical praise, and when HBO dropped the series finale in 2019, the episode brought in 19.3 million viewers.
Based on George R. R. Martin's 2018 book Fire & Blood, House of the Dragon is set about 200 years before Thrones and centers on the Dance of the Dragons, a civil war that broke out within the Targaryen dynasty. The sprawling cast includes Milly Alcock, Paddy Considine, Emily Carey, Matt Smith, Rhys Ifans, Steve Toussaint, Eve Best, Fabien Frankel, Sonoya Mizuno, Emma D'Arcy. and Olivia Cooke.
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