TV

'Game Of Thrones' Is 2015's Most Pirated Show, By Far

The HBO series can enjoy the hordes of fans who watch, but not all are paying viewers.

'Game Of Thrones' Is 2015's Most Pirated Show, By Far
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"Game of Thrones" has a wealth of fans, but they're not all paying to watch the show. (Video via HBO / "Game of Thrones")

TorrentFreak has named the HBO series the most pirated of 2015, the fourth year in a row "Game of Thrones" has held the title. (Video via HBO / "Game of Thrones")

Variety reports the finale for season five drew the show's largest audience ever at over 8 million viewers, yet over 14 million viewers illegally downloaded the episode. (Video via HBO / "Game of Thrones")

That potential revenue has to be missed, seeing as the average cost of an episode has been widely reported at roughly $6 million –– a figure considered expensive in the industry. (Video via HBO / "Game of Thrones")

Despite HBO releasing its stand-alone streaming service called "Now," pirating "Game of Thrones" is reportedly becoming more popular. (Video via HBO)

The show not being on cable likely has something to do with it. AMC's "The Walking Dead" was the second most pirated show of the year, but with half the illegal downloads as "Game of Thrones" and almost twice as many TV viewers. (Videos via HBO / "Game of Thrones," AMC / "The Walking Dead")