Game of Thrones 'Kill the Boy' episode set new piracy record

The recent episode of Game of Thrones 'Kill the Boy' (Season 5, Episode 5) has set a new piracy record, something that is becoming common for the series. In this latest case, the record was likely set due to the first four episodes of the season leaking so early — meaning a lot of viewers were able to grab them and watch, and then were forced to wait a long while for the fifth to finally come about, leading to an influx of pirates on torrenting websites.Game of Thrones has set piracy records in the past, and so the news isn't particularly surprising. The sheer number of downloads, however, does show both the series' and piracy's continued popularity.

In the first twelve hours after the "Kill the Boy" premiere, the episode was downloaded 2.2 million times. For those wondering, the last record was held by GoT's Season 4 premiere, which racked up 1.86 million downloads.

HBO now offers easier access to Game of Thrones content to fans through HBO Now, which costs $15/month. Unfortunately for the company, many (many) still seem to be turning to torrenting websites to get their fix rather than the legitimate alternative.

SOURCE: Forbes