Image Credit: HBO
The first dab of Game of Thrones ratings trivia is in. On Sunday night, HBO aired a 15-minute preview showing the opening scenes of its highly anticipated new series. Here’s how many watched: 720,000.
Is that good? Bad? Tough to say. It’s just a preview, and all the advertising for Thrones is emphasizing the actual premiere on April 17. Plus, plenty of would-be viewers watched the preview online (see it here). I think it’s fair to conclude this is not a giant number indicating the show’s debut will go through the ratings roof. But given its non-promoted and brief nature, nor does it suggest support for the show is soft — an HBO spokesperson points out the network has never done something like this before.
I’ve watched the first six episodes. Many are going to love Thrones — especially those who stick around through the first few hours. Episodes 5 and 6 were incredible.
Read more:
‘Game of Thrones’ producers David Benioff and D.B. Weiss on adapting the unadaptable
‘Game of Thrones’: George R. R. Martin talks HBO show
‘Game of Thrones’ sneak preview: Heads will roll!
‘Camelot’ vs. ‘Game of Thrones’ vs. ‘Borgias’
InsideTV Podcast: ‘Game of Thrones’ brings graphic sex and violence to TV
I think I need a job at EW so I can watch 6 episodes way before anyone else. The rest of us schlubs still have to wait just to watch one episode. So jealous
True, but then they have to wait even longer for the following episodes. (If I’m correct in thinking there will be 12 or so.)
Yes, that is the downside to greedily watching screeners ahead of time (also, the vid quality is typically low and there’s a copy protection stamp — but I couldn’t wait!)
There are actually 10 episodes to GoT.
I’m so looking forward to this! I started reading the books in the nineties and knew it would make a great series then. I’m so glad HBO had the balls to take it on. Hurry up and finish the next book, George RR Martin!!!
If you actually paid attention, the Fifth book is coming out this year. Why are you telling him to finish the book, when he is mostly finished and there is a release date? The release date for book 5 A Dance with Dragons is July 5th. Not sure why you are rushing at this point.
Magus-this is not the first release date A Dance with Dragons has had. It was originally due out in 2006, and has been delayed again and again. I would not be surprised if this most recent publication date is not met either.
For a 15 minute preview that was lightly advertised and aired 2 weeks before the actual premiere? I’d say those #s are pretty damn encouraging. Hell, I (and I’m sure many others) won’t even be subscribing to HBO until we get much closer to the premiere.
Thats what I’m doing, haven’t subscribed since the Wire ended, Signing back up in a few weeks for this
Same here. My service is providing a free preview during the premier weekend. I’m hoping there’ll be some sort of special rate, but nevertheless I’ll subscribe at that time.
I am enjoying “Mildred Pierce”.
Have you seen the original movie? THAT was good drama! The tone of this miniseries just isn’t doing it for me.
on my site the preview was viewed over 50,000 times
Those are great numbers! assuming the shings said up here and that a lot of people like me didnt wanted to watch the preview because we want to watch the episode complete for the first time!!
I didn’t want to watch the preview – rather just watch the whole thing at once!
Who cares about how many watched the preview? I didn’t even know the preview was on until I turned on HBO to watch Mildred Pierce.
Yeah, I agree. I had no idea until this article that the preview actually aired on HBO. I heard about the preview existing via Twitter and just watched it online. I don’t think these numbers really say much but agree with those that say they are pretty impressive for the preview not being publicized too much.
I just called my cable provider last night to add HBO and Showtime to my basic cable service. Main reason was the coming of “Thrones”, though I also want to start watching “The Borgias”.
I prefer to wait.
People who haven’t read the books have *no* idea what they are in for…this is going to be soooooo $$$.
Cash Money, people! Cash Money.
why is it with these shows it’s episode 4 or 5 or something that are great? people are lazy and impatient these days. no ones gonna make it that far
He didn’t say it took until episode 4 or 5 to get good. He said they were particularly great episodes. That doesn’t mean the other episodes aren’t good and worth watching. Jeeze! take your ADD medicine and calm down.
I am very much looking forward to the show and didn’t watch. I don’t really see the point in only airing 15 minutes, instead of an entire episode. That has no appeal to me, so I didn’t watch.
I didn’t even know a preview was being aired. I only caught it because I had turned on the TV waiting for Mildred Pierce to start.
I didn’t watch the preview either, but based on the summary that was posted here earlier, it seems like most of it was put in trailers anyway… But yeah, 12 days! Can’t wait!!
No – there was a bit at the beginning, but then the first several minutes of the episode aired.
Sigh…
Will this finally spur Tyrion – er – I mean Mr. Martin – to write the remaining books we’ve been waiting so many years for?
Or will the follow-on productions of Clash of Kings, Storm of Swords and Feast for Crows ensure that we never see the series finished?
Does HBO have concerns (and will viewers be as disappointed as readers) that this is a story that is far from being finished?
HBO is not worried. In one of the many articles about GOT on this site Martin admitted that he spoke with the writers and gave them his outline for the rest of the series including how he wants it to end. So, god forbid, if he doesn’t finish the series they can still go on. (technically, they could change the story and just write whatever they want anyway.)