Game Of Thrones S5 Downloads Arrive Early On August 31

Game of Thrones stands chief among all shows, at least when you look at how many people are pirating it. That piracy was aided by early leaks of season 5 episodes, and all in all HBO is scrambling to squeeze some pocket change from those Internet rebels. As such, it isn't surprising HBO has decided to launch the digital downloads for season 5 before it releases the Blu-ray and DVD versions (though the network probably won't cry if you pre-order them anyway). Downloads start next month.

HBO announced the early downloads via its Twitter account on Thursday, saying, "Send a raven. For the first time, #GoTSeason5 is available early for digital download on 8/31." You can pre-order them now if you want, but regardless you'll be able to get your (legal for-pay) downloads in exactly one month.

This represents a mere two month break between the end of season 5 and the start of legal digital downloads. If you're a hold out who prefers to buy the discs, however, since having that physical copy is still pretty satisfying, you're in for a hefty wait. The Blu-ray edition won't be arriving until March 2016.

The Game of Thrones Season 5 season pass is priced at $39 USD, and you'll have several platforms from which to choose when it comes to downloading: Google Play, iTunes, Vudu, Amazon, etc. If you're a subscriber on HBO Now, however, you'll not have to bother with any of this regardless.

VIA: Engadget