'House Of The Dragon' Finale Draws Monster TV Ratings

Millions of people sat down Sunday night to watch the season one finale of "House of the Dragon."

The season one conclusion of the "Game of Thrones" prequel perfectly set the stage for an epic war in season two, and the episode also generated huge ratings.

Across HBO and HBO Max, "The Black Queen" was watched by 9.3 million viewers Sunday night, according to a release from the network.

Once the later data rolls in, you can guarantee the viewership number will be substantially higher. So far, episodes from the inaugural season are averaging nearly 30 million viewers in total over time. The 9.3 million number only accounts for the Sunday night viewership.

Just how successful was the season one finale for "House of the Dragon" Sunday night? It was the most-watched finale since "Game of Thrones" ended after eight seasons back in 2019.

Interestingly, while "House of the Dragon" put up huge numbers, it didn't beat the Sunday night season one high of more than 10 million viewers for episode two, according to Variety.

It's important to note that episode two aired before the football season started. The finale went up directly against "Sunday Night Football" on NBC. There's no doubt that had an impact on the numbers.

What can we learn from "House of the Dragon" putting up huge numbers?

"House of the Dragon" getting huge numbers is a victory for fans of great content. It's just the latest example that people love stuff that is entertaining.

Ignore all the woke nonsense and garbage that Hollywood pumps out. People hate that stuff, but when fans are finally given something that's awesome, the ratings are huge.

"Game of Thrones" is proof of that fact, "Yellowstone" is proof of that fact, "The Terminal List" is proof of that fact and "House of the Dragon" is also absolutely proof of that fact.

Maybe, just maybe, networks and studios will start paying attention to what results in money getting printed and try to replicate it.

Now, millions of fans sit and wait for season two. While it will likely be a long time before we get it, there's no doubt it will be electric.

Written by
David Hookstead is a reporter for OutKick covering a variety of topics with a focus on football and culture. He also hosts of the podcast American Joyride that is accessible on Outkick where he interviews American heroes and outlines their unique stories. Before joining OutKick, Hookstead worked for the Daily Caller for seven years covering similar topics. Hookstead is a graduate of the University of Wisconsin.