A mistake by someone working for HBO has seen the latest episode of Game of Thrones uploaded online more than a day before its official airing date, an upload that was eventually made available for sharing online on piracy sites.
The unintentional leak was uploaded to HBO Nordic's pay-to-access streaming site, and to make make matters worse, users (in the allowed regions, or via VPN) were allowed to sign up to a free one month trial account to watch the leaked episode.
HBO Nordic eventually removed the leaked episode from their website (before reinstating it later, at the appropriate time), but not before thousands of users viewed the episode, and unfortunately, not before the episode was ripped and uploaded online to piracy sites. A high definition 1080p version of the leak was also eventually uploaded to the usual piracy hangouts.
No explanation has been given so far as to why HBO Nordic opened the door early for eager GoT fans, and held the door open for so long even after users posted about the mistake on reddit (warning: spoilers ahead). And this latest "own goal" is the last thing HBO needs, following the premium cable network's decision to crack down hard on piracy for this new season of Game of Thrones.
New episodes of Game of Thrones premier every Sunday in the U.S, and is available for viewing simultaneously in selected markets.
Home
