Will fewer people watch Game of Thrones’ new episode this week because it’s technically been out since Friday, or will people tune in nonetheless?
In case you’ve been living under a rock since Friday morning, Game of Thrones fans, episode 4 illegally hit the internet several days early. But will that actually impact the show’s ratings, which include 30 million Americans checking out “Dragonstone,” the current season’s premiere, per Entertainment Weekly?
To put it simply, probably not.
Writing for Polygon, without spoiling the episode much (although if you’re trying to remain completely safe, you might want to step away regardless), Julia Alexander makes the case for not forging ahead and taking a look at what’s to come in “The Spoils of War.”
To build off of the points she makes, though, Game of Thrones is a show that practically compels its fans to watch over and over again anyway. Polygon notes that the leak itself is not in full, glorious HD, which means that subtleties are lost. For theorists looking for the latest clue, watching “The Spoils of War” Sunday night will practically end up being mandatory. Plus, it’s technically, you know, illegal due to copyright law.
Besides, there are likely Game of Thrones fans who either didn’t know that the episode leaked or chose to ignore it anyway, and there’s really nothing stopping them from watching it live.
In fact, the leak might drive even more people to tune in to HBO either Sunday night or throughout the next week. Remember, “Dragonstone” didn’t notch 30 million viewers until this past week, not when it immediately aired. It’s entirely possible that the huge publicity of perhaps the biggest show in the world right now losing control over what Polygon argues is “an episode people will be talking about for some time” will drive some lapsed fans back into the arms of Daenerys Targaryen, Tyrion Lannister, or Jon Snow.
Next: Who will die in Game of Thrones season 7, episode 4?
I’m not saying that “The Spoils of War” will push Game of Thrones to new heights, but it sounds like it’s very likely.