Game of Thrones premiere sets piracy record
By Chris Isidore @CNNMoneyTech April 2, 2013: 11:39 AM ET
If those who download "Game of Thrones" illegally were paying, the show might be able to afford a few more dragon scenes, co-creator David Benioff told CNN.
HBO's mythical drama "Game of Thrones" set a record for modern-day piracy after its Sunday night premiere, as viewers around the globe scrambled to watch the season 3 debut episode that aired on the premium cable network.
Piracy tracker TorrentFreak says that more than 1 million viewers downloaded the episode in the first day after it aired. At one point, more than 163,000 people were simultaneously sharing a single torrent -- a new record. The previous record, of just under 145,000 simultaneous file-swappers, was set by the "Heroes" season 3 debut in 2008, according to TorrentFreak's data.
The heavy demand for the premiere episode is no surprise, given that TorrentFreak says "Game of Thrones" was the most pirated show of 2012. According to its estimate, 4.3 million people downloaded the season finale last year, nearly a half-million more than downloaded the second-most pirated show, the Showtime drama "Dexter."
TorrentFreak did not have an estimate for the total number of people who have downloaded this year's premiere so far. London is the city with the most illegal downloads of the episode, it said, while the country with the heaviest downloads was the United States, followed by the U.K. and Australia.
Those downloading the file were using BitTorrent, a free software system that lets users swap large media files. It is widely used to illegally trade movies and other copyrighted content. Hollywood is concerned about illegal downloads, but HBO programming president Michael Lombardo told Entertainment Weekly recently that the network sees the piracy of "Game of Thrones" as a sign of success more than a problem.
"I probably shouldn't be saying this, but it is a compliment of sorts," Lombardo said ahead of the season 3 premier. "The demand is there. And it certainly didn't negatively impact the DVD sales. [Piracy is] something that comes along with having a wildly successful show on a subscription network."
It's HBO policy to fight piracy of its shows, particularly when it finds people illegally selling episodes of its shows, but the network isn't going after individual viewers, Lombardo said: "We haven't sent out the Game of Thrones police."
HBO, Entertainment Weekly and CNNMoney are all units of Time Warner (TWX, Fortune 500).
In a recent interview with CNN's Jake Tapper, "Game of Thrones" co-creator David Benioff speculated about all the special effects he could buy if those who illegally pirated the show were paying 99 cents or so per download.
"You do kind of think, God, if we just had a little bit of that, we could have had that extra scene with the dragons," he said.
Fans who might be willing to cough up that 99 cents for a pay-per-episode purchase of the new season don't have any opportunity to do so. New "Game of Thrones" episodes are available only to HBO subscribers, through its cable channel and its HBO Go on-demand app. Viewers outside the U.S. typically have to wait a week or more for new episodes to reach their local markets. To top of page
HBO does not make it easy for people who don't subscribe to cable. I have a lot of friends who just don't use cable. They would pay for it if they could (itunes or other services)
My brother buys the DVD's when they come out every year but he pirates it during the season so he is not a year behind everyone.
Charlotte 00 Charlotte 03 Asheville 04 Atlanta 12 Greenville 16, Columbia 16 Seattle 18 Nashville 22
HBO does not make it easy for people who don't subscribe to cable. I have a lot of friends who just don't use cable. They would pay for it if they could (itunes or other services)
My brother buys the DVD's when they come out every year but he pirates it during the season so he is not a year behind everyone.
If they would just put them up on ITunes/Amazon, even if its a week after the air date, at say 1.99-2.99 a pop- they would make a killing.
...got a mind full of questions and a teacher in my soul...
my current trip to the US was configured around me seeing at least the 1st and 2nd episodes of GOT. the other night the friend im staying with atm asked me what i was gonna do when i went home and couldnt watch GOT anymore. i wept inside cause i dont have an answer. im just thankful ive read the books and can conjure up my own episodes.
hear my name
take a good look
this could be the day
hold my hand
lie beside me
i just need to say
man, makes me feel like a sucker for buying the subscription.
I don't know who you're cable provider is, but AT&T has been offering a 3-month preview of HBO all during the month of March... I signed up for it literally hours before GoT started, so I should be able to catch the entire season, live, for free....
Normally I just torrent it.... but I figured, why not?
HBO does not make it easy for people who don't subscribe to cable. I have a lot of friends who just don't use cable. They would pay for it if they could (itunes or other services)
My brother buys the DVD's when they come out every year but he pirates it during the season so he is not a year behind everyone.
If they would just put them up on ITunes/Amazon, even if its a week after the air date, at say 1.99-2.99 a pop- they would make a killing.
I wouldn't pay 2.99 a pop for an episode.
A 1.99, maybe... but knowing I could torrent it for free, probably not.
$1 is the right price for me. That's about what I'd be willing to pay, considering how much I already pay for cable.
Keep in mind, you're talking to someone who still buys CD's... however I refuse to buy anything that's priced higher than $10/disc. That's what I feel the market price should be for this stuff, and I'm sticking to it... I will pay more for my vinyl... and very much appreciate it when they throw in a free digital download code... if they don't, i'll hit a torrent website, as I've already paid for the music once, not doing it a second time.
Houston, Texas... Believe it or not, there are 7 million people here... must be a couple of fans who'd love to see you play.
Roose Bolton is a sworn banner man to Rob Stark. He was cast in season 2 and has been shown a couple times with him giveing advice. When they arrive at Harrenhal he is there with him. He is one of his main Generals
Thanks. I recognize him but I don't recall hearing his name.
Roose will become a very important character before this season is over, and continuing on in the story line... so get used to him.
I never noticed him too much before Sunday's episode, but that ugly scour on his face fits perfectly with his character...
Houston, Texas... Believe it or not, there are 7 million people here... must be a couple of fans who'd love to see you play.
man, makes me feel like a sucker for buying the subscription.
I don't know who you're cable provider is, but AT&T has been offering a 3-month preview of HBO all during the month of March... I signed up for it literally hours before GoT started, so I should be able to catch the entire season, live, for free....
Normally I just torrent it.... but I figured, why not?
HBO does not make it easy for people who don't subscribe to cable. I have a lot of friends who just don't use cable. They would pay for it if they could (itunes or other services)
My brother buys the DVD's when they come out every year but he pirates it during the season so he is not a year behind everyone.
If they would just put them up on ITunes/Amazon, even if its a week after the air date, at say 1.99-2.99 a pop- they would make a killing.
I wouldn't pay 2.99 a pop for an episode.
A 1.99, maybe... but knowing I could torrent it for free, probably not.
$1 is the right price for me. That's about what I'd be willing to pay, considering how much I already pay for cable.
Keep in mind, you're talking to someone who still buys CD's... however I refuse to buy anything that's priced higher than $10/disc. That's what I feel the market price should be for this stuff, and I'm sticking to it... I will pay more for my vinyl... and very much appreciate it when they throw in a free digital download code... if they don't, i'll hit a torrent website, as I've already paid for the music once, not doing it a second time.
This. If it were available to download the same day as the live ep airs for .99cents via amazon or google play or hell even itunes I would be all over it like white on rice. I just checked my cable provider's website (Time Warner Cable) and they advertise HBO for $15.95/month which probably translates into almost $20. Considering I only watch GoT and The Newsroom, that would be just a HUGE waste of money for me. Legally dling episodes at $1 a piece, however - not too bad, especially if it becomes like a social gathering with various friends who watch the show meeting up at so-and-so's house etc etc. Never gonna happen though. Because making the episode available before the live airing would be seen as unfair (or whatever) to HBO Subscribers, while putting the episode up the next day wouldn't generate as many sales because people would just download from torrents - because why wait until the next morning when you can torrent an hour after air for free?
Thanks. I recognize him but I don't recall hearing his name.
Roose will become a very important character before this season is over, and continuing on in the story line... so get used to him.
I never noticed him too much before Sunday's episode, but that ugly scour on his face fits perfectly with his character...
Is his son gonna be in the show this season? I'm really looking forward to how they do the Ramsay and Theon story.
Yes. I'm fairly sure he will be.
I think that he may be the "excellent hunter" Roose was talking about? Maybe although maybe not in Season two he mentions his Bastard back at the dreadfort and sending him to winterfell to help with the situation.
Charlotte 00 Charlotte 03 Asheville 04 Atlanta 12 Greenville 16, Columbia 16 Seattle 18 Nashville 22
all in all a good first episode.. so glad it's back.. hope they don't change too much from the book..
it was funny to see how the Dothraki deal with the sea
Decided to take the plunge and watched the first season within the last couple days. Snagged the 2nd season blurays and gonna dive in tonight. Loving it so far.
Decided to take the plunge and watched the first season within the last couple days. Snagged the 2nd season blurays and gonna dive in tonight. Loving it so far.
Welcome to the obsession!
WI '98, WI '99 (EV), WI '00, Chgo '00, MO '00, Champaign '03, Chgo '03, WI '03, IN '03, MI '04, Chgo '06:N1 & 2, WI '06, Chgo '07, Chgo '08 (EV:N1), Chgo '09:N1 & 2, Chgo '11 (EV:N1), WI '11:N1 & 2, Philly '12, Wrigley '13, Pitt '13, Buff '13, Detroit '14, MKE '14, Wrigley '16: N1 & N2, Seattle '18 N2, Wrigley '18: N1 & N2, Fenway '18 N1, STL '22, St Paul '23 N2, Chgo '23: N1 & N2
Can someone tell me who's men were torturing Theon? Starks?
What is the name of the wog kid/sister that meets Bran and tells him that he is a wog. It's cool to finally know whats fully going on with his ability?
Also, a refresher on The Brotherhood without Banners?
And so you see, I have come to doubt All that I once held as true I stand alone without beliefs The only truth I know is you.
Can someone tell me who's men were torturing Theon? Starks?
What is the name of the wog kid/sister that meets Bran and tells him that he is a wog. It's cool to finally know whats fully going on with his ability?
Also, a refresher on The Brotherhood without Banners?
Theon is being held by Ramsay Snow, they mentioned him last season. He is Roose Boltons bastard.
Jojen and meera reed are with Bran now. They are loyal to the Starks.
The brotherhood will be explained more soon, I don't want to spoil it just yet.
Great episode, not much on the action yet. Glad to see the wolves.
...got a mind full of questions and a teacher in my soul...
Can someone tell me who's men were torturing Theon? Starks?
What is the name of the wog kid/sister that meets Bran and tells him that he is a wog. It's cool to finally know whats fully going on with his ability?
Also, a refresher on The Brotherhood without Banners?
Theon is being held by Ramsay Snow, they mentioned him last season. He is Roose Boltons bastard.
Jojen and meera reed are with Bran now. They are loyal to the Starks.
The brotherhood will be explained more soon, I don't want to spoil it just yet.
Great episode, not much on the action yet. Glad to see the wolves.
OK, thank you.
And so you see, I have come to doubt All that I once held as true I stand alone without beliefs The only truth I know is you.
Can someone tell me who's men were torturing Theon? Starks?
What is the name of the wog kid/sister that meets Bran and tells him that he is a wog. It's cool to finally know whats fully going on with his ability?
Also, a refresher on The Brotherhood without Banners?
WAUG not wog.
hear my name
take a good look
this could be the day
hold my hand
lie beside me
i just need to say
Can someone tell me who's men were torturing Theon? Starks?
What is the name of the wog kid/sister that meets Bran and tells him that he is a wog. It's cool to finally know whats fully going on with his ability?
Also, a refresher on The Brotherhood without Banners?
WAUG not wog.
Well, whatever.
Thanks
And so you see, I have come to doubt All that I once held as true I stand alone without beliefs The only truth I know is you.
So happy GOT is back, especially since The Walking Dead ended. Aria seems to be in trouble now. Why wouldnt she put her hand up to cover her face or look the direction while walking by Dog? Rhetorical question but I just hate the lack of common sense in shows and movies sometimes.
downloading now..alot of shows to catch up today,this one,shameless last season episode,mad men 2 episodes!!
good i took the day of work,i relax and enjoy the shows
"...Dimitri...He talks to me...'.."The Ghost of Greece..".
"..That's One Happy Fuckin Ghost.."
“..That came up on the Pillow Case...This is for the Greek, With Our Apologies.....”
Very happy with last night. So much stuff happened!
Olenna the Queen of Thorns is perfect. The scenes with Maegry and Joffrey are awesome. You get to see a little more how demented he is. I like the tug of power between his mom and future wife for his control.
The reeds were fantastic. I really liked them mentioing Howland Reed crying when he heard about Ned.
The fight with jamie and brienne was great!
Theon.... oh Theon i have not been looking forward to this. I hope HBO dials it back. Some of the scenes last night were hard to watch. I hate what theon did to the Starks but torture sucks
Oddly the Arya stuff was my least favorite not that it was bad it just did not do much for me and i liked that part of the book. Love the Brotherhood
North of the wall "Tarly i command you not to die" Mormont is the best!
Charlotte 00 Charlotte 03 Asheville 04 Atlanta 12 Greenville 16, Columbia 16 Seattle 18 Nashville 22
Can someone tell me who's men were torturing Theon? Starks?
What is the name of the wog kid/sister that meets Bran and tells him that he is a wog. It's cool to finally know whats fully going on with his ability?
Also, a refresher on The Brotherhood without Banners?
WAUG not wog.
Well, whatever.
Thanks
WARG actually
...got a mind full of questions and a teacher in my soul...
Comments
http://money.cnn.com/2013/04/02/technol ... ?hpt=hp_t2
Cheap bastards!
Game of Thrones premiere sets piracy record
By Chris Isidore @CNNMoneyTech April 2, 2013: 11:39 AM ET
If those who download "Game of Thrones" illegally were paying, the show might be able to afford a few more dragon scenes, co-creator David Benioff told CNN.
HBO's mythical drama "Game of Thrones" set a record for modern-day piracy after its Sunday night premiere, as viewers around the globe scrambled to watch the season 3 debut episode that aired on the premium cable network.
Piracy tracker TorrentFreak says that more than 1 million viewers downloaded the episode in the first day after it aired. At one point, more than 163,000 people were simultaneously sharing a single torrent -- a new record. The previous record, of just under 145,000 simultaneous file-swappers, was set by the "Heroes" season 3 debut in 2008, according to TorrentFreak's data.
The heavy demand for the premiere episode is no surprise, given that TorrentFreak says "Game of Thrones" was the most pirated show of 2012. According to its estimate, 4.3 million people downloaded the season finale last year, nearly a half-million more than downloaded the second-most pirated show, the Showtime drama "Dexter."
TorrentFreak did not have an estimate for the total number of people who have downloaded this year's premiere so far. London is the city with the most illegal downloads of the episode, it said, while the country with the heaviest downloads was the United States, followed by the U.K. and Australia.
Those downloading the file were using BitTorrent, a free software system that lets users swap large media files. It is widely used to illegally trade movies and other copyrighted content. Hollywood is concerned about illegal downloads, but HBO programming president Michael Lombardo told Entertainment Weekly recently that the network sees the piracy of "Game of Thrones" as a sign of success more than a problem.
"I probably shouldn't be saying this, but it is a compliment of sorts," Lombardo said ahead of the season 3 premier. "The demand is there. And it certainly didn't negatively impact the DVD sales. [Piracy is] something that comes along with having a wildly successful show on a subscription network."
It's HBO policy to fight piracy of its shows, particularly when it finds people illegally selling episodes of its shows, but the network isn't going after individual viewers, Lombardo said: "We haven't sent out the Game of Thrones police."
HBO, Entertainment Weekly and CNNMoney are all units of Time Warner (TWX, Fortune 500).
In a recent interview with CNN's Jake Tapper, "Game of Thrones" co-creator David Benioff speculated about all the special effects he could buy if those who illegally pirated the show were paying 99 cents or so per download.
"You do kind of think, God, if we just had a little bit of that, we could have had that extra scene with the dragons," he said.
Fans who might be willing to cough up that 99 cents for a pay-per-episode purchase of the new season don't have any opportunity to do so. New "Game of Thrones" episodes are available only to HBO subscribers, through its cable channel and its HBO Go on-demand app. Viewers outside the U.S. typically have to wait a week or more for new episodes to reach their local markets. To top of page
Charlotte 03
Asheville 04
Atlanta 12
Greenville 16, Columbia 16
Seattle 18
Nashville 22
My brother buys the DVD's when they come out every year but he pirates it during the season so he is not a year behind everyone.
Charlotte 03
Asheville 04
Atlanta 12
Greenville 16, Columbia 16
Seattle 18
Nashville 22
If they would just put them up on ITunes/Amazon, even if its a week after the air date, at say 1.99-2.99 a pop- they would make a killing.
take a good look
this could be the day
hold my hand
lie beside me
i just need to say
with a bad April Fools joke. A new imp??? I just about died!!! thank goodness it was a farce!
Charlotte 03
Asheville 04
Atlanta 12
Greenville 16, Columbia 16
Seattle 18
Nashville 22
I don't know who you're cable provider is, but AT&T has been offering a 3-month preview of HBO all during the month of March... I signed up for it literally hours before GoT started, so I should be able to catch the entire season, live, for free....
Normally I just torrent it.... but I figured, why not?
I wouldn't pay 2.99 a pop for an episode.
A 1.99, maybe... but knowing I could torrent it for free, probably not.
$1 is the right price for me. That's about what I'd be willing to pay, considering how much I already pay for cable.
Keep in mind, you're talking to someone who still buys CD's... however I refuse to buy anything that's priced higher than $10/disc. That's what I feel the market price should be for this stuff, and I'm sticking to it... I will pay more for my vinyl... and very much appreciate it when they throw in a free digital download code... if they don't, i'll hit a torrent website, as I've already paid for the music once, not doing it a second time.
Roose will become a very important character before this season is over, and continuing on in the story line... so get used to him.
I never noticed him too much before Sunday's episode, but that ugly scour on his face fits perfectly with his character...
Is his son gonna be in the show this season? I'm really looking forward to how they do the Ramsay and Theon story.
This. If it were available to download the same day as the live ep airs for .99cents via amazon or google play or hell even itunes I would be all over it like white on rice. I just checked my cable provider's website (Time Warner Cable) and they advertise HBO for $15.95/month which probably translates into almost $20. Considering I only watch GoT and The Newsroom, that would be just a HUGE waste of money for me. Legally dling episodes at $1 a piece, however - not too bad, especially if it becomes like a social gathering with various friends who watch the show meeting up at so-and-so's house etc etc. Never gonna happen though. Because making the episode available before the live airing would be seen as unfair (or whatever) to HBO Subscribers, while putting the episode up the next day wouldn't generate as many sales because people would just download from torrents - because why wait until the next morning when you can torrent an hour after air for free?
:geek:
LIVEFOOTSTEPS.ORG/USER/?USR=435
I think that he may be the "excellent hunter" Roose was talking about? Maybe although maybe not in Season two he mentions his Bastard back at the dreadfort and sending him to winterfell to help with the situation.
Charlotte 03
Asheville 04
Atlanta 12
Greenville 16, Columbia 16
Seattle 18
Nashville 22
Tom O.
"I never had any friends later on like the ones I had when I was twelve. Jesus, does anyone?"
-The Writer
does what I said constitute a spoiler?
Sorry...
I didn't think that really told you anything except that you should remember the guy...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=p ... 5V8ecsrxeY
Tom O.
"I never had any friends later on like the ones I had when I was twelve. Jesus, does anyone?"
-The Writer
it was funny to see how the Dothraki deal with the sea
Can someone tell me who's men were torturing Theon? Starks?
What is the name of the wog kid/sister that meets Bran and tells him that he is a wog. It's cool to finally know whats fully going on with his ability?
Also, a refresher on The Brotherhood without Banners?
All that I once held as true
I stand alone without beliefs
The only truth I know is you.
Jojen and meera reed are with Bran now. They are loyal to the Starks.
The brotherhood will be explained more soon, I don't want to spoil it just yet.
Great episode, not much on the action yet. Glad to see the wolves.
Why would you read this thread if you werent watching the show?
I thought the other thread was for the book people.
All that I once held as true
I stand alone without beliefs
The only truth I know is you.
All that I once held as true
I stand alone without beliefs
The only truth I know is you.
WAUG not wog.
take a good look
this could be the day
hold my hand
lie beside me
i just need to say
Thanks
All that I once held as true
I stand alone without beliefs
The only truth I know is you.
good i took the day of work,i relax and enjoy the shows
"..That's One Happy Fuckin Ghost.."
“..That came up on the Pillow Case...This is for the Greek, With Our Apologies.....”
Olenna the Queen of Thorns is perfect. The scenes with Maegry and Joffrey are awesome. You get to see a little more how demented he is. I like the tug of power between his mom and future wife for his control.
The reeds were fantastic. I really liked them mentioing Howland Reed crying when he heard about Ned.
The fight with jamie and brienne was great!
Theon.... oh Theon i have not been looking forward to this. I hope HBO dials it back. Some of the scenes last night were hard to watch. I hate what theon did to the Starks but torture sucks
Oddly the Arya stuff was my least favorite not that it was bad it just did not do much for me and i liked that part of the book. Love the Brotherhood
North of the wall "Tarly i command you not to die" Mormont is the best!
Charlotte 03
Asheville 04
Atlanta 12
Greenville 16, Columbia 16
Seattle 18
Nashville 22
WARG actually