Game of Thrones fans are eager to get back into the world of Westeros with House of the Dragon, a prequel focused on House Targaryen. Set 200 years in the past and based on the book Fire & Blood, the new series was created by George R. R. Martin with Ryan J. Condal, who also acts as showrunner alongside Miguel Sapochnik. An HBO original, it will also be available for streaming on HBO Max.
If you’re looking forward to how House of the Dragon compares to Game of Thrones, how it can do better, and how it can tie directly into the future storyline, you might have some questions.
Over the last few years, as the number of streaming services and new original productions for that format increased, release schedules have become increasingly confusing for viewers. Netflix, often considered the one that paved the way for the model and helped change the way people watch TV, relies heavily on binge-watching from the beginning. Most of the service’s original productions over the years have been released as entire seasons at once.
But releasing everything at once is not necessarily an idea that pays off long-term, given how fast you can burn through a production that takes so long (and so much) to make, and other services know it — especially the ones that originated from traditional TV channels, like HBO. That is why they have been taking their time and making sure their productions can keep the viewers coming back over several weeks.
The situation does, however, make it confusing for those who decide to watch a new show, like House of the Dragon. Is it coming out once a week, all at once, or somewhere in between?
Is House of the Dragon coming out weekly or releasing all episodes at once?
Longtime Game of Thrones fans might be glad to know that House of the Dragon will follow the same release schedule as the original series. Episodes are broadcast weekly, every Sunday, on HBO, and released at the same time on HBO Max. For different countries around the globe, other streaming services will be the ones with the rights to the show.
Only two episodes have had their dates and titles confirmed so far (“The Heirs of the Dragon” and “The Rogue Prince”), but it was announced that the show’s first season will consist of 10 episodes. That means, if nothing changes, the last of those should come out on Oct. 23, 2022.
Catch the first episode of House of the Dragon and meet some new Targaryens starting Aug. 21.
