House of the Dragon premiered on 21 August, officially introducing the latest series set in the Game of Thrones universe to viewers.
While some wondered if the controversial eighth season of Game of Thrones would put off potential viewers, it seems that many are keen to tune in.
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In fact, House of the Dragon has become the largest series premiere in HBO history, drawing in 9.986 million viewers in the US (on linear and HBO Max platforms)
It was also the biggest series launch on HBO Max in the US, Latin America, and the EMEA region.
But as South Africans know, HBO Max isn’t available in the country. So how exactly can locals tune in to the new series?
The House of the Dragon is exclusive to DSTV Premium for now
MultiChoice, which has the local licence to air the series (and many other HBO shows), has launched the series as part of a “windowing strategy”.
This means that for now, the House of the Dragon is only airing on M-Net channel 101 — exclusive to DSTV Premium subscribers.
So if you want to watch the show, you need to tune in on Mondays at either 3am or 9.30pm, the timeslots the channel will be airing the series.
If you miss the slot, you can watch the show on DSTV Catch Up.
Can you stream House of the Dragon in South Africa?
In terms of streaming, there will be two choices: watching through DSTV’s online platform and app or watching on Showmax.
The show will be available live and via Catch Up on the DSTV Now website and app. However, it’s important to note that the DSTV app limits you to one stream at a time.
Access to the show online/on the app is still limited to DSTV Premium subscribers.
House of the Dragon will also be available on Showmax (owned by Multichoice) by the end of the year.
An exact date has yet to be announced for the Showmax launch.
Multichoice representatives have said that the series’ rollout to other products will be announced at a later stage.
Read more: What to know about Disney+ in South Africa
Feature image: HBO
