States with the Most Interest in HBO's House of the Dragon

HBO has been in the news recently because of some drastic programming changes at HBO Max following its merger with Discovery. But it’s also made waves because last Sunday night was the premiere of one of the biggest events in pay TV history, “House of the Dragon,” the long-awaited prequel to “Game of Thrones.”

For those unfamiliar, “Game of Thrones,” based on a series of “War and Peace”-sized books by George R.R. Martin, was a cultural phenomenon — breaking HBO viewership records and receiving 59 Emmy Awards over its run from 2011 to 2019. 

The sprawling, timeless epic — a sort of violent, fantasy adventure soap opera focusing on various warring kingdoms of the families Stark, Lannister and Targaryen — mixed detailed mythology of countless intersecting stories with gory battles, incest, evil spirits, mad kings, super powers, nasty bastards, nudity, and, of course, dragons.

The show sparked catchphrases such as “winter is coming,” “the North remembers,” and “I’m not going to stop the wheel. I’m going to break the wheel.”

That last quote was said by Daenerys Targaryen (Emilia Clarke), one of the series’ many breakout characters, as the Mother of Dragons, whose emotional arc during the series touched all bases — and then burned them.

While NY sportsbooks don't offer odds on characters fates on "House of Dragon," like Thrones, fans can expect plenty of bloodshed throughout the series' run.

States with the Most Interest in the House of the Dragon TV Show

States (Territories)-Interest Level vs. Other Topics During Time Span
District of Columbia100 out of 100
Massachusetts79 out of 100
New Jersey76 out of 100
Colorado71 out of 100
Illinois69 out of 100
New Hampshire69 out of 100
Rhode Island69 out of 100
Connecticut68 out of 100
Pennsylvania67 out of 100
Maryland66 out of 100

*Data was taken on Tuesday, Aug. 23 at 12 p.m. EST to see the interest level vs. other topics during the time span of the past 7 days.


Strong Viewership of First Episode

“House of the Dragon” drew nearly 10 million viewers on its premiere this past Sunday — but what states were most interested in this new spin-off? According to EmpireStakes.com research on Google Trends, people were excited to enter the “Dragon” throughout the Northeast, mid-Atlantic, and Colorado. 

Interestingly, New York did not crack the Top 10, perhaps because interest across NY betting apps was high as to whether the sizzling Mets or struggling Yankees would sit on the World Series throne. Online New York sports betting has been the country’s biggest wagering market since launching earlier this year, regularly topping $1 billion in monthly handle.

About House of the Dragon

“House of the Dragon” takes place a couple centuries before Daenerys, when King Viserys Targaryen (Paddy Considine) sat on the Iron Throne. After a few scenes in Episode 1 that weirdly reflected issues in today’s political climate and offered up some Easter eggs of family names from the original series, a problem childbirth forces Viserys to choose a new heir. 

He, of course, passes over his psycho brother Daemon for his young daughter Rhaenyra, but in true “GoT” fashion, not everyone is going to be happy with the choice. Some, in fact, are likely to be homicidal.

We’ll start to find out who’s not leaning in with Princess Rhaenyra or bending the knee in Episode 2, Sunday. This first season will have 10 episodes.

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Methodology

EmpireStakes.com utilized Google Trends and searched the term “House of the Dragon” on Tuesday, Aug. 23 at 12 p.m. (EST) over the last 7 days. We ranked the states with the interest level of the topic vs. othertopics during that time span. 

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Author

Howard Gensler

Howard Gensler is a veteran journalist who’s worked at the Philadelphia Daily News, TV Guide and the Philadelphia Inquirer and is a founding editor of bettorsinsider.com.

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