History of House of the Dragon in Timeline

House of the Dragon, a prequel to Game of Thrones, chronicles the Targaryen dynasty's descent into a bloody civil war known as the "Dance of the Dragons." Set nearly 200 years before the events of Game of Thrones, the series begins during a time of Targaryen prosperity, roughly 100 years after Aegon's Conquest. The show depicts the complex relationships, political machinations, and power struggles within House Targaryen, ultimately leading to their decline and the devastating conflict for succession to the Iron Throne.

November 2022: Nielsen states 35% of show viewers are in the age range of 18-34 in November 2022

In November 2022, Nielsen reported that 35% of House of the Dragon viewers were between 18 and 34 years old. The first season of the series was also heavily pirated, becoming the most pirated series of 2022 according to TorrentFreak.

2022: Positive reviews for season 1

In 2022, the first season of House of the Dragon received positive reviews, with praise for the writing, directing, score, and cast performances. Critics noted the show's reliance on George R.R. Martin's work as a strength, and the cast, including Paddy Considine, Matt Smith, Emma D'Arcy, and Olivia Cooke, received acclaim. The series was also included on multiple critics' top ten lists of 2022.

2023: Primetime Emmy and Golden Globe Awards in 2023

In 2023, House of the Dragon received nine Primetime Emmy Awards nominations, winning one for Outstanding Fantasy/Sci-Fi Costumes. The series also won the Golden Globe Award for Best Television Series – Drama. Emma D'Arcy was nominated for a Critics' Choice Award and Screen Actors Guild Awards in 2023 as well.

2024: Season 2 viewership details in 2024

In 2024, House of the Dragon Season 2 debuted with 7.8 million viewers on linear and streaming platforms, a 22% decrease from Season 1. However, viewership in Latin America increased by 30%. During the week of June 17–23, 2024, the series reached its highest streaming viewership, with 1.23 billion minutes watched, according to Nielsen. The season finale achieved a season-high of 8.9 million viewers and marked the highest streaming viewership for any episode on HBO.