House of the Dragon had a record-setting debut for HBO in August, drawing nearly 10 million viewers for the first episode. Of course, in order to watch the Game of Thrones spinoff, you’ll need a subscription to HBO or HBO Max. Not sure if it’s worth the price of admission? Well, HBO just put the first episode of House of the Dragon on YouTube for free.
Watch House of the Dragon episode 1 for free
It is impossible to ignore the fact that HBO uploaded the first episode on the same day that The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power premiered on Prime Video. These two epic fantasies will likely be the biggest shows of the season, if not the year. HBO is doing everything in its power to defend its show’s spot on the Iron Throne.
Despite their settings and the timing of their releases, House of the Dragon and The Rings of Power won’t attract the same audience. Amazon’s Lord of the Rings series has a TV-14 rating, which means it should be appropriate for young teenagers.
Meanwhile, House of the Dragon is filled with sex, violence, and cursing, as was its predecessor. Be sure to keep that in mind before you start watching the first episode below at work or around children:
If you want to keep watching House of the Dragon, you will need to sign up for an HBO Max subscription. HBO Max with ads costs $9.99 a month, while the ad-free plan costs $14.99 per month. For a limited time, you can also save 40% when you pay for a year upfront. You’ll pay $69.99 for a year with ads, and $104.99 for a year without ads.
Once you’re done with House of the Dragon episode 1, you can stream the second episode on HBO Max. The third episode debuts this Sunday, September 4, at 6 p.m. PT / 9 p.m. ET. HBO has already renewed the series for a second season.
More HBO Max coverage: Want to know what’s streaming on HBO Max now? Be sure to check out the list of new releases on HBO Max for September.
