HBO has always been a beacon of consistency. If the schedule says that a show will premiere on a certain day and time, then you can rely on that happening. It’s why they’ve remained one of the best cable companies and now streaming services ever. Yes, the programming has been good as well, but if the releases are inconsistent, then even the best projects won’t be watched.
Despite everything that was just said, HBO does move things around. Last year, It: Welcome to Derry changed its normal Sunday release time to Friday, October 31. With people looking for horror projects to watch on Halloween, HBO took a shot and switched things up. In 2023, episode 5 of The Last of Us (“Endure and Survive”) dropped early due to that year’s Super Bowl. With this year’s Super Bowl coinciding with episode 4 of A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, HBO Max decided to release the episode early, and it’s a smart move.
I may have started this article praising HBO for consistency, but the phrase, “Evolve or die,” comes to mind. HBO could have kept everything the way it was and battled one of the most popular sporting events in the world, or they could have adapted as many other streaming services have. For HBO, the benefit of doing this is not having to fight for viewers. And, yes, some people don’t care about football, but they’ll watch the Super Bowl for the halftime show, commercials, or if they’re invited to a party.
It shouldn’t be surprising that there is a lot of crossover between football and Game of Thrones fans. So, yes, the people in charge of scheduling are going to move one of their more popular shows to accommodate their viewers. It also works because when people find out the episode came out early, they’ll flock to Max to watch it.
Ratings are important, and even one bad day can turn into something devastating for the show. Because of that, the smart thing to do is to look at your options and adjust accordingly. For example, Fallout on Prime Video moved its release date twice in one season. According to a Forbes article, the change was made to avoid spoilers. Some people don’t mind them if the project sticks the landing. However, it could be the reason people won’t watch an episode that’s crucial to the show’s future.
As of now, it’s unclear whether or not the move will be a gift or a curse for A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms. If we go by patterns, the change won’t mean much. People will watch a Game of Thrones project when they can. Being released a couple of days early only means that people will have more time to watch.
Thanks for reading. Stay tuned to Bam Smack Pow for more A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms news, opinions, interviews, and rumors as they come out.