In Hong Kong, Season 8 of the most anticipated finale for a TV show, Game of Thrones, premiered on the morning of April 15, 2019 (around 9am local time on HBO GO), with subsequent episodes typically dropping on Mondays.
Seven years ago today. Here's the thing, the show has suddenly spiked viewership all these years later and its a topic of discussion yet again. So here's a throwback on what was essentially, the first time ever, promotions of such a massive scale for a TV show - never before seen. And never again since. Well,until Stranger Things came along. But even that wasn't as big as GOT (the acronym lives on!).
Here's what I remember, so far, the finale would have followed a similar near-simulcast or same-day/next-morning availability pattern on the HBO GO/Now TV service, as Hong Kong followed HBO Asia's regional rollout rather than a traditional linear TV channel like TVB Pearl (which had aired earlier seasons in some cases but not this one prominently).
Promotions in Hong Kong leading up to the final season (and thus the finale) centered on a major fan exhibition and we all media hacks attended! Now E (PCCW) and HBO GO organized Hong Kong's first-ever Game of Thrones-themed exhibition, called "Now E x HBO GO: Game of Thrones Ultimate Experience."
It ran from April 10 to April 23, 2019, at Cityplaza (Taikoo Shing, Quarry Bay) — specifically at the /F atrium and centre bridge. Features included: A life-sized replica of the Iron Throne (the centerpiece). A six-meter-long ice dragon (Viserion) installation. Eight interactive zones, such as an AR White Walker photo booth, a character feature wall with 13 popular figures, 3D stereoscopic paintings, and more. Merchandise and giveaways (house sigil mugs, cushions, tote bags, personalized leather coasters via Instagram, stamps/passport for stickers).
It was timed directly ahead of the Season 8 premiere on April 15 and served as the main local hype event. Other brand tie-ins (e.g., KFC's dragon-themed "Hot & Spicy" campaign) existed but were more general marketing.
HBO reported massive global figures — the series finale drew a record 19.3 million viewers across all US platforms (linear + streaming) on its debut night, with 13.6 million on linear TV alone, making it HBO's most-watched telecast ever at the time.
Season 8 as a whole performed strongly in Asia (including Hong Kong/Taiwan via HBO services). Later shows like House of the Dragon surpassed Season 8 as the most-viewed HBO title in regions including Hong Kong, but that's comparative rather than absolute numbers for GoT's finale.
The finale was a huge cultural event in Hong Kong and as with all things television, everyone's waiting for the next biggest--if not the best--thing.
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