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Game of Thrones' fifth season will air simultaneously worldwide each week

Game of Thrones' fifth season will air simultaneously worldwide each week

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Game of Thrones fans who don't live in the US will no longer have to worry about seeing spoilers before they can see the actual show: HBO said today that it plans to broadcast the show's entire fifth season simultaneously across the globe. The simultaneous broadcast will occur through HBO-branded networks — HBO Asia, HBO Canada, HBO Europe, HBO Latin America, HBO Netherlands, and HBO Nordic — as well as partnering carriers in various countries. While that's great news for those eager to see Game of Thrones, they may not actually want to watch the live broadcast: the show airs at 9PM ET — not the perfect time to be watching TV everywhere in the world.

HBO has been increasing the speed at which it brings Game of Thrones — and other original content — outside the US over the past couple years. Ostensibly, the goal is to fight piracy. Game of Thrones is regularly among the most pirated TV series, but by removing the weeks or months that non-US viewers are sometimes made to wait for the show, HBO can make subscribing to its network the most convenient and fastest way to watch. The simultaneous broadcast only furthers that. Even if 9PM ET is an inconvenient local time, would-be viewers should still be able to record the show or find it on-demand when they want to watch it later. The show premieres April 12th at 9PM ET. You can see how that converts into other time zones below.

Green line indicates Game of Thrones' premiere time. Credit: Every Time Zone.

Verge Video from Apple's Spring Event: Game of Thrones Season 5 trailer