House of the Dragon season 2 finale ratings revealed – confirming season 1 decrease
The showrunner announced this week that the show would end with season 4.
House of the Dragon season 2 came to an end this week, but the finale was unable to match the highest point of the first instalment.
The Game of Thrones spin-off takes place almost two centuries before the original series, chronicling the so-called Dance of the Dragons – a civil war that consumes House Targaryen over the rightful heir to the Iron Throne.
The latest finale – titled The Queen Who Ever Was – achieved the highest live viewership of season 2 with 8.9 million tuning in across HBO and Max in the US, falling short of season 1's peak (10.2 million) and dramatic ending (9.3 million).
By contrast, the season 2 finale has been deemed anticlimactic by some fans, prompting debate on social media over whether it should have gone further by depicting The Battle of the Gullet (reportedly being saved for season 3).
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That could alarm showrunner Ryan Condal, who worked hard to mend the reputation of the Game of Thrones franchise after the original series tarnished its reputation with a much-maligned final season.
It appeared he was successful when House of the Dragon became a breakout hit in summer 2022, but the third season will be starting on the back-foot if this less than stellar opinion sustains.
Defending the season 2 finale, Condal told The Hollywood Reporter: "When you’re [a] showrunner, you’re always in the position of having to balance storytelling and the resources that you have available to tell that story.
"[The show] requires a tremendous amount of resources, construction, armour, costumes, visual effects... We are trying to give The Gullet – which is arguably the second most anticipated action event of Fire & Blood – the time and the space that it deserves."
Of course, it is worth noting that conventional overnight ratings don't tell the whole story these days, with more and more people choosing to watch their favourite shows at a time that suits them via streaming.
Therefore, House of the Dragon season 2's total viewership is likely considerably higher than the figures stated above, with Warner Bros Discovery claiming that Sunday's finale led to the "biggest streaming day ever for Max" in the US (via Variety).
Fans need not worry of any disastrous consequences from this dip as House of the Dragon was renewed for season 3 before season 2 even premiered, but Condal has stated since the finale that the show will end with its fourth outing.
House of the Dragon is available to stream on Sky and NOW.
Check out more of our Fantasy coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more from the biggest stars in TV, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
Authors
David Craig is the Senior Drama Writer for Radio Times, covering the latest and greatest scripted drama and comedy across television and streaming. Previously, he worked at Starburst Magazine, presented The Winter King Podcast for ITVX and studied Journalism at the University of Sheffield.
