Game Of Thrones was the most pirated show of the year (again)

By Rick Marshall Published December 29, 2014

game thrones pirated show year of — Image used with permission by copyright holder

HBO’s Game Of Thrones continues to set records (and subsequently break them), but the latest milestone hit by the show is somewhat of a dubious honor. For the third straight year, the series was the most pirated program on illegal file-sharing sites.

According to TorrentFreak.com, the most recent Game Of Thrones season finale was downloaded more than 8.1 million times in 2014 — a tally that’s particularly notable because the episode only had an estimated 7.1 million live viewers when it aired.

Recommended Videos

Of the top ten most-downloaded episodes of various programs, Game Of Thrones is the only series to have its most popular episode pirated more than it was watched live.

The site’s rankings suggest that the competition for most-downloaded series wasn’t even close, either, with the next-highest program being (no surprise here) The Walking Dead. The most downloaded episode of that series was illegally snatched 4.8 million times, but attracted 17.3 million live viewers.

Similarly, the most pirated episode of The Big Bang Theory generated 3.9 million downloads (putting it at #3 on the list) and 18.2 million live viewers.

It’s worth noting that these download statistics are probably a conservative estimate of each show’s popularity in the file-sharing world, as the site’s tracking doesn’t account for some of the online streaming or file-hosting services that are popular methods for viewing (and sharing) a file.

Topics

Fantasy
HBO

Former Digital Trends Contributor

A veteran journalist with more than two decades of experience covering local and national news, arts and entertainment, and…

Entertainment

The best Game of Thrones seasons, ranked

Daenerys Targaryen with Drogon behind her in Game of Thrones.

HBO has multiple incredible shows. After all, as the cable network's slogan goes, it's not television, it's HBO. However, few of the network's originals can compare to the juggernaut that was Game of Thrones. Developed by David Benioff and D. B. Weiss and based on George R. R. Martin's literary saga A Song of Ice and Fire, the show followed multiple feuding noble families struggling to sit on the Iron Throne and rule over the war-torn continent of Westeros.

At its peak, Game of Thrones was the biggest show on Earth, dominating award shows and scoring HBO the biggest ratings in its history. Across eight seasons and 73 episodes, the show shocked, scandalized, and thrilled audiences worldwide, cementing its place among television's greatest achievements. However, even its most devoted fans can't say it remained consistent throughout. Indeed, while some seasons were positively masterful, others were outright embarrassing, proving that when you play the game of thrones, there truly is no middle ground.
8. Season 8 (2019)

Entertainment

7 most underrated Game of Thrones episodes ever

A woman stands across from a man in Game of Thrones.

Can you believe it's been four years since Game of Thrones concluded its legendary run? While we won't speak about the final season, Game of Thrones remains one of television's most successful shows, with a record 59 Primetime Emmy Awards. Game of Thrones was a "can't-miss" television show, meaning the audience had to tune into the live airing of an episode or risk seeing spoilers on the internet. In the social media age of television, it's rare for a show to have as much power and influence on pop culture as it did.

A select group is unequivocally regarded as the best episodes of Game of Thrones, including Blackwater, Hardhome, The Rains of Castamere (more commonly known as The Red Wedding episode), and The Winds of Winter. For this list, however, we selected the seven most underrated Game of Thrones episodes ever.
Lord Snow

Entertainment

The Red Wedding at 10: How the groundbreaking episode changed Game of Thrones forever

Robb Stark's body with his direwolf's head in Game of Thrones.

The so-called Golden Age of Television reached its undeniable zenith during the 2010s. Shows like Mad Men, Veep, Breaking Bad, and Stranger Things took TV to new and exciting levels of visual and narrative quality. However, no show had more influence or acclaim throughout the 2010s than Game of Thrones. The HBO juggernaut became synonymous with prestige television, delivering a perfect mix of political intrigue, high fantasy, and sex that became irresistible for critics and audiences.

Game of Thrones wasn't an instant success; it was only in season 3 that the show became the must-see show on television. Two events helped the show achieve this elusive reputation. The first was Daenerys' sacking of Astapor in the fourth episode, And Now His Watch Has Ended. The second is, of course, the Red Wedding. The episode it was featured in, The Rains of Castamere, changed the series' course, altering the fate of multiple characters and radically shifting the power balance between the noble houses of Westeros. The groundbreaking episode showcased Game of Thrones operating at full strength, and, as a result, allowed audiences to truly understand what kind of show they were watching.
Game of Thrones sends its regards