How Global is the appeal of Game of Thrones?

About Game of Thrones

Game of Thrones is an American medieval fantasy television series created by HBO by David Benioff. It is an adaption of the novel A sound of fire, initially titled A Game of Thrones. The series is filmed across many locations including Belfast, Croatia, Malta and Iceland. The narrative is based upon seven families fighting to control the mythical land of Westeros. The first season of the series was aired on 17th April 2011, two days later, it was decided that it would be made into a second series, this aired on the 1st April 2012. Game of Thrones won numerous awards but was critised for the amount of sex and nudity that was in the narrative.

Broadcasting
The first season of Game of Thrones premiered on HBO in the United States on 17th April, 2011, and the second season on 1st April 2012. In the subsequent weeks and months, the show also began airing in several other countries. The series is only available through HBO or its affiliates, not through third-party video on demand services, and in many countries not at all. This has contributed to the series being widely pirated. Game of Thrones was broadcasted in many other countries across Europe and other parts of the world such as Argentina, Israel, Hong Kong, Nigeria and Vietnam. In the UK, Game of Thrones aired on Sky Atlantic on 18th April. Anticipation for Game of Thrones was described by media as very high, with a dedicated fan base closely following the show's development. It was estimated to be the most pirated TV series of 2012, a reflection of its popularity as well as its limited availability.