The Game of Thrones universe continues to expand, and despite how many feel about the original show’s final season, the audience keeps returning for more. A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms is the perfect example, the second prequel series in the franchise which debuted on HBO in January. The six-episode season, following a hedge knight named Ser Duncan “Dunk” the Tall (Peter Claffey) and his squire, Aegon “Egg” Targaryen (Dexter Sol Ansell), delivered a breath of fresh air for the fandom.

And the numbers don’t lie. During its first-season run earlier in the year, impressive viewership numbers were being reported, but now, months later, Warner Bros. is painting a clearer picture.

A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms global viewership stats are impressive

Peter Claffey as Dunk in A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms. | Photograph by Steffan Hill/HBO

In a report from Warner Bros. Discovery this week, the company shared its Q1 2026 results, with A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms mentioned multiple times. The official Shareholder Letter reports that the Game of Thrones spinoff is now seeing an average of over 36 million global viewers per episode on HBO Max, an incredible feat.

To put that into perspective, the letter also shares that the critically acclaimed medical drama The Pitt is seeing an average of over 20 million global viewers per episode on HBO Max in its second season. The Noah Wyle-led series has a large fanbase and has won big at award shows like the Emmys and Golden Globes—including the award for Best Drama Series.

Though Warner Bros. doesn’t make all the numbers available for us to compare, this must make A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms one of the biggest premiere seasons in HBO Max history. The viewership stats for the first episode were impressive, and the show got even more popular as it went on. Between diehard fans of George R.R. Martin’s book series—including Tales of Dunk and Egg, the novellas the show is based on—and casual fans who caught on through word of mouth, the prequel has been such a pleasant surprise for the franchise. The fandom seems to be in total agreement (perhaps for the first time ever) that it’s a fantastic show.

The Game of Thrones franchise should continue expanding—as long as they don’t oversaturate it

House of the Dragon season 3. | Courtesy of HBO.

Of course, Warner Bros. is happy with these numbers, calling A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms one of its “global tentpole titles.” This echoes sentiments shared by Warner Bros. chief marketing officer Shauna Spenley last month, who acknowledged the “demand” for the Game of Thrones franchise.

“Game of Thrones is this incredible IP that seems in some ways infinite,” Spenley stated, touching on the success of A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms while discussing the upcoming Aegon’s Conquest. The feature film follows Aegon I Targaryen and his incredible story, which one of the most important events in Westeros history.

Spenley also stated that fans “don’t want to wait a couple of years for every installment,” speaking to the priority to release new Game of Thrones content more frequently. HBO’s slate is packed with the franchise for the foreseeable future, with A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms and House of the Dragon debuting new seasons this year, A Knight of the Seven Kingdom’s sophomore season set for 2027 and House of the Dragon’s final season set for 2028. With Aegon’s Conquest likely coming sometime in 2028 (this is not confirmed; we’re speculating here), there won’t be a shortage of Westeros anytime soon.

And while fans do complain for years-long waits between seasons (we see it ALL the time on our social channels), I also fear this much frequent content could lead to oversaturation. Game of Thrones should not follow Marvel or Star Wars, producing so many new TV shows and/or movies in a given year that start to feel like cash-grabs.

Of course, there’s a ton of Martin’s material that could be adapted for the small or big screen, and I have nothing against that happening. But it’s important Warner Bros. treats this strategy with care. Fans want more, but not at the risk of running the franchise into the ground.

Game of Thrones’ next release is right around the corner, with House of the Dragon season 3 premiering June 21 on HBO and HBO Max.