HBO’s most successful series launch ever was the much-anticipated premiere episode of “House of the Dragon,” the first spin-off to “Game of Thrones,” which attracted close to 10 million viewers in the United States according to WarnerMedia.

With its distinctive fusion of fantasy, bloodshed, medieval politics, and dragons, “Thrones” first became a global hit that captivated audiences and garnered prizes; but, its 2019 conclusion received negative reviews from both fans and critics.

The fantasy book “House of the Dragon,” which is set decades earlier in the same world as George R.R. Martin’s books, shows the heyday of the forebears of well-known “Thrones” characters like Daenerys Targaryen.

[embedpost slug=””]

Set years earlier in the same universe of George R.R. Martin´s fantasy books, “House of the Dragon” depicts the glory days of the ancestors of popular “Thrones” characters, such as Daenerys Targaryen.

It is based on his book, “Fire and Blood”.

The show´s premiere on Sunday evening drew 9.98 million viewers in the United States across HBO´s platform, making it “the largest audience for any new original series in the history of HBO”, the television network´s owner, WarnerMedia, said in a statement late Monday.

It was also the “largest series launch on HBO Max”, its streaming platform, in the United States, Latin America as well as Europe, the Middle East and Africa, the US entertainment giant said.

There was “an unprecedented level” of simultaneous streams on the platform, it added.

The nine-episode television series stars Matt Smith as Prince Daemon, the series’ ambitious sibling, and Paddy Considine as the kind-hearted King Viserys.

Between 2011 and 2019, “Game of Thrones” had eight seasons, and additional spin-offs are in the pipeline.

The HBO show´s popularity will likely be measured against “The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power”, adapted by Amazon Prime Video.