Game of Thrones was one of the greatest pop culture events of the modern age, and the epic fantasy has gone down as possibly the best television series ever made. When it ended in 2019, it left a gaping Westeros-shaped hole in the television market.
HBO quickly scrambled for ideas for a spinoff series and settled on House of the Dragon. The first season of this dropped in 2022, and it was hugely popular among fans of the original. Now, with season two coming soon, it could be time for the prequel to start attracting a wider audience.
Game of Thrones Set the Example for the Television Franchise Model
House of the Dragon has a chance of following the same trajectory as Game of Thrones in terms of viewing figures. The original series only averaged 2.5 million viewers per episode in its first season, and this shot up to 11.6 million in its second season.
House of the Dragon is already ahead of Game of Thrones in this regard, with its first season finale watched by 9.3 million viewers. Now, the prequel could capitalise on this and follow the franchise model that Game of Thrones used to reach a greater number of viewers.
Interest in Game of Thrones increased over the years as more related content was released alongside it. For instance, there was the Game of Thrones console title from Telltale Games, which gave players a new way to explore Westeros.
There was also the Game of Thrones Power Stacks slot game, which is still one of the most popular jackpot slots in today’s market. The title from Slingshot Studios, features much loved characters from the series on the reels, reminding players of the HBO offering. House of the Dragon could easily branch out on these platforms as well.
House of the Dragon Continues the High Quality of its Predecessor
House of the Dragon has received highly positive reviews so far, and its first season was reminiscent of early Game of Thrones. While much slower and less action packed than the original, it involved a high amount of intrigue and provided rich details about the history of the Targaryen dynasty. The series is working with a high budget as well, meaning that the dragons and other special effects are incredible.
The great news about House of the Dragon is that it should stick close to its source material throughout its run. The series is based on George R. R. Martin’s book, Fire & Blood. Specifically, it centres on a section of that tome about the Dance of the Dragons. This is the famous Targaryen civil war, and season two of House of the Dragon will show how the start of that conflict plays out. This has all been detailed by Martin, so there’s no need for the showrunners to go off script as they did in the later seasons of Game of Thrones.
House of the Dragon already got off to a good start in 2022, and now the new season has the potential to take its popularity to the next level. It’s time that the prequel series’ franchise expanded and tapped into a wider audience.