Is Game of Thrones on Netflix?

Since it’s one of the premiere streaming services, you’d think they’d have a huge hit show like Game of Thrones on Netflix, but HBO is a paid service, too.

Netflix is a pillar of pop culture. In addition to the “Netflix and Chill” lifestyle perpetuated by hours of binge-watching and searching romantic comedies on Netflix to see what we find, Netflix keeps legacies alive. Just consider all the shows that new generations have discovered thanks to the streaming service, like Friends. Or what about all the shows that Netflix has given a second life to, like Fuller House and Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life? Even if you’re not the type of person who can sit and watch all seven seasons of The West Wing on any given day, Netflix has earned enough awards to not even care.

This year, they plan to spend more than $6 billion on original content. But no matter how much they pay, they’ll never have Game of Thrones.

It’s simple, really: They’re mega competitors. Basically, HBO is Cersei and Netflix is Dany.

Netflix wants what HBO has: a successful content-creating platform that users have to pay for. Unlike Disney or The CW, where Netflix bartered exclusive deals to get shows and films on the platform as early as eight days after completing a season, there’s no way Netflix can persuade HBO to hand off subscribers (or as they see it, $$$) to another service. In this case, the money’s in the exclusivity.

Like HBO, Netflix built its foundation on back-catalogues. Then, it turned around and forayed into original content with as much talent as they could afford. Of course, they’ll be keeping an eye on what people like more following the Great Netflix Cancellation Spree of 2017. But in the meantime, they’re more likely to try to create a Game of Thrones-like show before they even get HBO on the phone.

Game of Thrones airs exclusively on HBO. So if you want to binge-watch, you’ll have to subscribe separately to the service.

Home/Pop Culture