After a strong start, episode 3 of “House of the Dragon” saw a 28% decrease in views compared to episode 2. The Targaryen civil war is detailed in HBO’s most recent adaptation of George R.R. Martin’s epic books, which serves as a prelude to Game of Thrones. Nearly 200 years have passed since the events of “House of the Dragon,” which introduces a large number of new characters and settings. More than 10 million people watched the first episode of the new series, making it the most watched series premiere in HBO’s history.
HBO quickly announced the second season of “House of the Dragon” after the series’ debut. The show broke its own viewership record with its second episode, drawing even more people than with its premiere. “House of the Dragon” followers on social media cheered in unison as Daemon Targaryen, played by Matt Smith, launched a daring attack against the Crabfeeder (Daniel Scott-Smith), in episode three, “Second of His Name,” which significantly increased the action. Nevertheless, despite the episode receiving favorable reviews, the show’s cable audience shrank.
According to a recent Variety article, episode 3 of “House of the Dragon” saw a 28% decrease in viewers from episode 2. Nielson’s ratings show that episode 3 attracted 2.5 million viewers, a substantial decrease from episode 2’s 3.5 million viewers. It should be noted that Nielson’s ratings only take into account regular TV viewing and do not take into account the millions more viewers that watched via HBO Max.
HBO Max viewership, which is released directly from HBO, is not taken into account in the most recent Nielson numbers, yet the show is still doing quite well despite the decline. Game of Thrones viewership was reasonably straightforward to track when it first aired in 2011, but the emergence of HBO Max and the growth of streaming have confounded “House of the Dragon’s” viewing figures. With 10.2 million people watching episode 2 of “House of the Dragon” overall, only 3.5 million of those viewers were through regular cable, the bulk of fans are now watching the show on HBO Max. It’s unclear whether Nielson’s most recent ratings indicate a more widespread decline in the show’s audience because HBO hasn’t yet publicly released the streaming data for episode 3.
In general, it’s not unusual for new series to see their viewership decline following their premiere episode. Positive reviews and word-of-mouth for the show have obviously been robust since “House of the Dragon” debuted for episode 2, with that dip occurring in episode 3 instead. Game of Thrones’ audience consistently increased with each new season, indicating that if “House of the Dragon” follows a similar trajectory, it will continue to gain popularity over time. Without HBO Max’s streaming data, it can be challenging to grasp the full picture, but despite the recent decline in cable viewing, “House of the Dragon” is still a resounding triumph.
Reasons Laenor Velaryon (who is not a Targaryen heir) Can Ride A Dragon