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Google searches for how to cancel HBO spiked after ‘Game of Thrones’ finale

Published May 23rd, 2019 7:31AM EDT
How to Cancel HBO
Image: Helen Sloan/HBO

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Game of Thrones

season 8 is now beyond us, and we’ve come to accept HBO ruined the biggest TV show ever created. Again, it’s not the ending that’s upsetting, but the writing of this whole season. That’s something HBO is yet to address, as the company has been focusing on the divisive nature of the finale, rather than dealing with actual criticism. Also, HBO hasn’t really acknowledged that infamous petition more than 1.5 million people signed. Maybe the best way to prove how annoyed fans are with their favorite series is to look at the dramatic spike in Google searches for “how to cancel HBO”.

In an interview with Deadline, HBO programming president Casey Bloys downplayed an upcoming dip in subscriptions.

DEADLINE: Back to Game of Thrones. You aired a promo before the finale reminding viewers of the other shows you have on so they stick around. Do you expect subscriber dip after the end of GoT?

BLOYS: Historically what we have seen is, before any kind of tentpole show like Game of Thrones, True Detective, Westworld — obviously Game of Thrones is the biggest — there is usually an uptick of subscriptions for the show and then down afterwards. Usually what we are expecting is a net gain. So there are absolutely people who watched HBO for Game of Thrones, but historically, we usually end up with a net gain, and that’s what I expect in this case as well.

Also historically, no other Game of Thrones was as bad as season 8. Meanwhile, fans on Reddit are already posting proof they’ve canceled their subscription.

Yeah, fuck off. from freefolk

As you’ll notice in the following graph, there’s a marked uptick in searches. Game of Thrones aired on April 17th, 2011, end ended last week, so the following graph covers the entire duration of the series.

Image source: Google

More people are looking at canceling HBO now than they ever did in the entire history of Game of Thrones. The previous biggest search spike for how to cancel HBO occurred in August-September of 2017, a few months after season 7 ended.

Let’s look at the same graph and add searches to cancel Netflix (in red) — Netflix “wins” easily overall. But HBO probably doesn’t care about that right now.

Image source: Google

We’ve also narrowed down the period to these six weeks of Game of Thrones, and the graph paints the same picture.

Image source: Google

Spikes in Google searches for canceling HBO have registered every week, almost matching the same search for Netflix, but it’s incomparable to what happened after the final season ended.

Chris Smith Senior Writer

Chris Smith has been covering consumer electronics ever since the iPhone revolutionized the industry in 2008. When he’s not writing about the most recent tech news for BGR, he brings his entertainment expertise to Marvel’s Cinematic Universe and other blockbuster franchises.

Outside of work, you’ll catch him streaming almost every new movie and TV show release as soon as it's available.