After eight years in the Seven Kingdoms, we say farewell to TVs biggest show
Dan Meier 2 hours ago
After eight years in the Seven Kingdoms, we say farewell to TV's biggest show
target=_blank title=Share on LinkedIn class=share-linkedin> After eight years in the Seven Kingdoms, we say farewell to TV's biggest show
https://www.tvbeurope.com/features/how-game-of-thrones-conquered-the-world-of-broadcast title=Share via Email class=share-email>
Even if you managed to never watch Game of Thrones it was still impossible to ignore thanks to its unparalleled ability to generate headlines, from character deaths to dodgy cinematography and budgets of $15 million an episode (apparently still not enough to remove a Starbucks cup). This ties in with an overall increase in production spend across Europe of more than 20 per cent between 2013 and 2017, according to Ampere Analysis.
It really does seem like Game of Thrones has set a precedent for other studios as well as showing the desire among consumers for high-budget epics, says Ampere's Toby Holleran, citing other HBO shows like Westworld, The Watchmen and Joss Whedon's The Nevers.
Paul Barnes, MD EMEA, App Annie, notes that the cost of producing Game of Thrones is still a drop in the ocean compared to the budgets of big SVoD companies like Amazon (whose upcoming Lord of the Rings show is estimated to cost $20 million per episode) and Netflix (who paid $100 million just to keep Friends on the platform for another year).
One immediate beneficiary of Game of Thrones' expense is the economy of Northern Ireland, where the bulk of the show is made. The production's direct spend on goods and services in Northern Ireland is over $250 million, with a similar amount brought in through tourism. It's a pretty innovative project in the extent to which it's rolling out tourism products, says Richard Williams, chief executive of Northern Ireland Screen, which I suppose is familiar enough in the US with theme parks and whatever, but not so developed here and certainly not developed on the back of TV. Where we've seen that before it's all been on the back of film.
On the production side, the show has facilitated the building of two new studios in Belfast; Titanic Studios and Belfast Harbour Studios. The investment from the Belfast Harbour to build that all came from the optimism of Game of Thrones, explains Williams. Before Game of Thrones, Northern Ireland wasn't really known in UK terms as a significant screen industry hub. After Game of Thrones, Northern Ireland is known as a screen industry hub globally.
As the show has run for the best part (its fans would argue) of a decade, Northern Irish production staff who arrived on the series as trainees have built up a considerable level of experience. And experience on the most technically challenging show of its era is good experience for any CV, adds Williams. It goes beyond those that are directly employed by the project and goes into the supply chain. It was all the people that work for the post houses (Yellow Moon and Ka-Boom), work for the facilities companies, work for the catering company, work for the extras company. The impact on all of that has been massive.
What then might be the reason for this fantasy show's giant success? I think it's a combination of strong, detailed, popular source material combined with high budgets and cliffhangers, says Holleran. The slight divergence from the books in the later series, especially at points beyond what the books covered also led to even those with background knowledge wondering what was happening next. Also the show entrenches rather early on that even some of the characters who receive more screen time are not immune to being killed off early on, which adds to the who will die?' factor. Additionally, there has been some excellent (in my opinion) casting for villains such as Iwan Rheon and Jack Gleeson, which can lead to viewers wanting them to receive their just desserts.
This has created a real water cooler' effect, with fans tuning every week in order to talk about the show and avoid spoilers at all costs. Weekly airing means that there's hype around each episode - something similar seems to happen with the big weekly BBC dramas like Bodyguard, explains Holleran. Looking at US consumers who said they strongly agree' that TV shows give them something to talk about, taking HBO as a premium channel has a higher percentage point over-index than any other TV service, while this demographic were twice as likely to take HBO Now.
Indeed, apps carrying Game of Thrones saw a significant lift in downloads immediately after the season eight premiere, according to Barnes: The average daily downloads of NOW TV for the seven days following the season eight premiere of Game of Thrones saw 130 per cent more downloads than the average daily downloads in April in the lead up to the premiere (1st-13th April). In the same timeframe, France's OCS saw 435 per cent more downloads, and Germany's Sky Ticket 245 per cent more downloads.
There has certainly been a shift in how we watch our favourite shows. It's been a long time since we checked the Radio Times guide, and we're now moving from on-demand to on-demand on-mobile, adds Barnes. A substantial crown of viewers cast from their phones and each episode spawns a wave of related review videos on YouTube. So, while Game of Thrones may be a big screen experience especially in mind of The Long Night's controversially gloomy cinematography each episode triggers additional consumption on smartphones (especially for superfans). What's most significant about Game of Thrones' huge popularity is the way social media conversation has helped to recreate the sense of live TV programming, he
Most recent headlines
05/01/2027
Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be ...
07/10/2026
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, today announced the latest Long-Term Supported (LTS) release of Dalet Flex. Build...
06/09/2026
June 9 2026, 23:00 (PDT) Dolby and MagentaTV Bring Fans Closer to the FIFA Worl...
19/08/2026
As the cost of IP nears price parity with traditional SDI, Reynolds argues that ...
19/08/2026
A private 5G bubble was chosen instead of traditional broadcast RF for the race ...
19/08/2026
(L-R) Rafael Manuel and Isabel Sicat attend the Filipi ana premiere during the 2026 Sundance Film Festival at The Ray Theatre on January 23, 2026, in Park Cit...
19/08/2026
Studio owners invited to have their say on rates cuts
The Music Producers Guild (MPG) are inviting UK-based studios to take part in an in-depth survey that ...
19/08/2026
Vintage-inspired desktop interface revealed
Harrison's latest hardware offering sees them head into the world of audio interfaces, delivering a 10-in/12...
19/08/2026
Granular effect remains locked to scale and tempo
Described as your dream granular effect , Minimal Audio's latest creation is capable of turning any s...
19/08/2026
First polyphonic SWAM instrument incoming
Audio Modeling's latest physical-modelling orchestral instrument is just around the corner, and is now availab...
19/08/2026
World Cup Games Generate 84 Billion Minutes Across FOX, Fox Sports 1 and NBCU...
19/08/2026
July brought typical peak-holiday drops in viewership, driven primarily by viewers stepping away from screens and a visible decline in reach across both traditi...
19/08/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
19/08/2026
Henry joins BCE as the company accelerates its commercial strategy and expands its international presence across the media, broadcast and technology markets. He...
19/08/2026
iWedia, a leading provider of software solutions for connected TV devices, today announced a major milestone in Android platform optimization with the successfu...
19/08/2026
NTP Technology announces that ST 2110-30 audio-over-IP connectivity with AES67 and RAVENNA capabilities is now available for the brand's world-class audio i...
19/08/2026
Net Insight has been selected to provide its Nimbra platform by the service provider Big Blue Marble, formerly ORS Group, as the core media transport solution f...
19/08/2026
LiveU has supported Coventry City FC and several other top-flight UK football clubs through one of their most demanding live production challenges of the year, ...
19/08/2026
Nature Seekers Documentary Shot with Blackmagic URSA Cine 12K LF
Brie Clayton August 18, 2026
0 Comments
Filming endangered turtles required camera...
19/08/2026
Neyrinck Brings D-Control Consoles Back to Life on Apple Silicon with D-Control ...
19/08/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
19/08/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
19/08/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
19/08/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
19/08/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
19/08/2026
Riedel Communications today announced that Edith Cowan University (ECU) in Perth, Australia, implemented a comprehensive communications infrastructure that brin...
19/08/2026
QuickLink, a leading provider of award-winning video production and remote guest contribution solutions, will spotlight a major leap forward in remote guest con...
19/08/2026
Integrated platform melds media asset management, playout automation and newsroom workflows
EMAM, PlayBox Neo and SNEWS have officially launched Nuvex, a conne...
19/08/2026
Screen Australia releases the Private Investment Toolkit to strengthen screen in...
19/08/2026
Do Aussies truly value local content? Unpacking Screen Currency 2026 with Deirdr...
19/08/2026
There's an early Christmas gift for Bookish fans, as UKTV confirms the re-commission of the hit U&alibi drama, created by and starring Mark Gatiss. Viewers ...
19/08/2026
Wednesday 19 August 2026
Sky gives sports fans the chance to watch multiple liv...
19/08/2026
On Saturday September 5 Katie Taylor will step into the ring for the fight of her life against Flora Pili in front of 80,000 fans in Croke Park. A legendary fig...
18/08/2026
SportStream 2026, a free three-day virtual event, will take place September 15-17. One registration provides access to all three days of live programming and on...
18/08/2026
BeckTV will introduce BeckFlow to the European market at IBC2026, demonstrated on the Providius stand (10.F53).
BeckFlow is a web-based schematic documentation...
18/08/2026
Boland Communications will introduce a SMPTE ST 2110 input option for its 4K monitors at IBC2026, along with a new 55-inch super-narrow bezel display for video ...
18/08/2026
Dolby Laboratories and the Seattle Seahawks have announced a partnership integrating Dolby OptiView into the Seahawks' live streaming coverage, making the S...
18/08/2026
For BMG Executive Producer of Sports Production, Graham Taylor, producing live s...
18/08/2026
TMRW Sports has appointed Rufus Hack as President of Golf, a newly created role in which he will lead the company's golf businesses including TGL presented ...
18/08/2026
SMT will provide race technology for FOX Sports' coverage of the Freedom 250 Grand Prix of Washington, D.C. on August 23, when the NTT INDYCAR SERIES races ...
18/08/2026
The live, YouTube-native roundtables combine fan voices, credentialed reporters,...
18/08/2026
Behind The Mic provides a roundup of recent news regarding on-air talent, includ...
18/08/2026
The industry legend sounds off on replacing the Heat's iconic Medusa score...
18/08/2026
William F. Rasmussen, the sports fan-turned broadcaster and entrepreneur whose out-of-the-box idea of a 24-hour cable sports network, ESPN, changed forever the ...
18/08/2026
DAZN Group has completed its acquisition of ViewLift, a provider of streaming and digital solutions for sports content owners. The acquisition was first announc...
18/08/2026
The American Association of Professional Baseball (AAPB) has added SI TV, Sports Illustrated's 24/7 streaming channel, as a broadcast partner for the remain...
18/08/2026
The Esports Foundation has announced that the inaugural Esports Nations Cup (ENC), originally scheduled for November 2026 in Riyadh, will be postponed to Novemb...
18/08/2026
Diversified has announced a new Global Managed Services Practice, consolidating the company's managed services capabilities into one organization. Rob Mello...
18/08/2026
Appear has completed a proof of concept with Thoroughbred Racing Productions (TRP), demonstrating multi-camera remote live production over bonded 5G cellular an...
After eight years in the Seven Kingdoms, we say farewell to TVs biggest show
