A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms is off to a strong start, ranking among the top three series launches in HBO Max history.
The Game of Thrones prequel debuted on January 18 and drew 6.7 million viewers across HBO and HBO Max within its first three days, according to live-plus-three-day Nielsen data and internal figures from Warner Bros. Discovery.
For comparison, House of the Dragon, another Game of Thrones prequel, delivered the largest series premiere in HBO and HBO Max history, attracting roughly 9.99 million U.S. viewers across linear TV and streaming in 2022. Its second season, however, opened to a lower 7.8 million viewers.
Against more recent launches, A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms also came out ahead. The horror series It: Welcome to Derry debuted to 5.7 million viewers over three days, while Season 2 of the Emmy-winning medical drama The Pitt pulled in 5.4 million viewers during the same window earlier this month.
Based on George R.R. Martin's "Tales of Dunk and Egg" novellas, A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms is a prequel set 90 years before Game of Thrones. The story follows Ser Duncan the Tall, aka Dunk, a wandering hedge knigtht, and his young squire, Egg. Unlike Game of Thrones, the series offers a more lighthearted, character-driven story with touches of humor. The logline reads:
A century before the events of “Game of Thrones,” two unlikely heroes wandered Westeros… a young, naïve but courageous knight, Ser Duncan the Tall, and his diminutive squire, Egg. Set in an age when the Targaryen line still holds the Iron Throne, and the memory of the last dragon has not yet passed from living memory, great destinies, powerful foes, and dangerous exploits all await these improbable and incomparable friends.
The series currently sits at a 95% on Rotten Tomatoes, with a critics consensus that reads: "A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms is a welcome return to Westeros that works better in the buddy-comedy arena rather than solely slaying its competition."
A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms stars Peter Claffey as Ser Duncan “Dunk” the Tall, Dexter Sol Ansell as Egg, Daniel Ings as Ser Lyonel Baratheon, Bertie Carvel as Baelor Targaryen, Danny Webb as Ser Arlan of Pennytree, Sam Spruell as Maekar Targaryen, Shaun Thomas as Raymun Fossoway, Finn Bennett as Aerion Targaryen, Edward Ashley as Ser Steffon Fossoway, Tanzyn Crawford as Tanselle, Henry Ashton as Daeron Targaryen, Youssef Kerkour as Steely Pate, Tom Vaughan-Lawlor as Plummer and Daniel Monks as Ser Manfred Dondarrion.
A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms is co-created by George R. R. Martin, who also serves as an executive producer, alongside co-creator, showrunner, and executive producer Ira Parker. Additional executive producers include Sarah Bradshaw, Owen Harris, Ryan Condal, and Vince Gerardis. The series is directed by Owen Harris and Sarah Adina Smith.
These impressive premiere numbers are god news for A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, which has already been greenlit for a second season.