HBO has done everything in its power to stop leaks of Game of Thrones this season, going as far as to eliminate any press releases of episodes. That still has not stopped some of the episodes from popping up online before airtime; the premiere itself showed up on torrent sites a few hours before it aired.
The latest episode, titled “The Door,” actually appeared online over twenty-four hours before airing, and the source of the leak appears to be none other than HBO itself.
According to TorrentFreak, HBO Nordic made the episode available well before the scheduled release time. Obviously, it was quickly ripped and posted to torrent sites for others to download illegally. It originally circulated in a low-quality version, but 1080p HD files began appearing shortly thereafter.
Game of Thrones has frequently been at the top of “most pirated TV show” lists, which helps explain why HBO is trying so hard to limit the leaks of their episodes. They have done a good job of limiting the damage, especially considering the beginning of last season.
Before the season five of Game of Thrones even premiered, the first four episodes were leaked online. This leak was obviously a big reason why HBO decided to not send out any early episodes for review for season six.
HBO will need to review their release protocols after this embarrassment, but “The Door” is no longer something that needs to be downloaded from the seedy back alleys of the internet. It is legally available now, and we on The Nerd Stash called it “probably the best episode of the season so far.”
What do you think of HBO leaking their own Game of Thrones episode early? Had a chance to check out “The Door” yet? Let us know in the comments below!
