Game of Thrones is finally coming to Google Play in the UK.
Although fans of the acclaimed HBO series started purchasing episodes from the service back in October, folks living in the United Kingdom were left out of the deal. However, the premium cable network recently announced that Game of Thrones and several other popular shows will soon be available to viewers across the pond.
According to The Guardian , HBO recently struck a “wide-ranging” deal with Google Play UK to bring such high-profile series as Eastbound and Down , Veeps , True Blood , and Boardwalk Empire to the UK. Expect the first batch of episodes to begin hitting the service in the coming weeks.
HBO’s Colin Smith said in a statement:
“We are delighted to bring our wide range of programming to Google Play in the UK, and expand on our existing relationship in the US. This is an exciting time for HBO in the digital space and we can’t wait to work with Google over the coming weeks and months to deliver all of our series and films to their platform, including a host of new and returning HBO shows throughout 2014.”
Game of Thrones is among the shows that will eventually find its way to Google Play. However, The Mary Sue notes that HBO will begin the process by rolling out some of its older programs. Shows should start rolling out next week.
How much should Game of Thrones fans expect to pay for this convenience? Google Play in the US currently offers individual episodes at $2.99, though some series are only going for $1.99 per. Entire seasons will run between $19 and $29, depending on the program.
According to the International Business Times , HBO is likely striking up deals with Google Play in an effort to cut down on piracy. Game of Thrones is one of the most pirated television shows on torrent sites, which means a lot of money is escaping the cable network’s pocket. Not surprising, executives want to fix this problem ASAP.
However, it’s unclear when the newer episodes of these HBO series will arrive on Google Play. While older seasons are readily available to users, the more recent installments aren’t presently available on Google Play in the US. The network hasn’t dropped any information about current season releases as of this writing.
Game of Thrones season four should arrive next spring. Hopefully HBO’s recent deal with Google Play will allow latecomers of the show to get caught up on the fantasy before the new episodes start hitting the airwaves.