After an almost two-year hiatus, the Game of Thrones franchise is returning to the screen with House of the Dragon season 2, meaning now is a great time to dive into or revisit the fantasy series. This guide will show you how (and where) to watch the Game of the Thrones franchise in order. This includes which TV show to watch first if you're watching in release or chronological order, and where you can find them on streaming services.
Game of Thrones first started as a book series, A Song of Ice and Fire, by author George R. R. Martin. The series became a New York Times bestseller, with all five books earning Locus Award, Hugo Award, and Nebula Award nominations. However, the vast scope of the story, which spans countless story arcs, characters, continents, and time periods, was initially believed to be impossible to adapt, similar to other sci-fi/fantasy epics like Dune and The Wheel of Time.
Martin, as well as TV writers David Benioff and D. B. Weiss, admitted that the scale of the book series would be impossible to capture in a film adaptation. Hence, Benioff and Weiss decided to go in the direction of an HBO TV series. The show received widespread critical acclaim for its scale, ensemble cast, and complex story. It pulls from all five of Martin’s novels, as well as two of his future novels, for which he provided the outline. Game of Thrones takes place on the fictional continents of Westeros and Essos, following a long political conflict between nine noble houses vying for the throne after years of peace were disrupted by the Targaryen madness. Throughout its eight seasons, it follows a large cast of characters, including Jaime Lannister (Nikolaj Coster-Waldua), Daenerys Targaryen (Emilia Clarke), Jon Snow (Kit Harrington), and Arya Stark (Maisie Williams).
Although the show concluded in 2019, it didn’t take long for the prequel series House of the Dragon to arrive. It adapts parts of Martin’s book Fire and Ice and takes place 200 years before Game of Thrones, following House Targaryen when it ruled the Seven Kingdoms. The show has been very well received, earning numerous accolades, including several for the performances of Emma D’Arcy, Milly Alcock, and Matt Smith. Another prequel series, A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms: The Hedge Knight, is in development.
How to watch the Game of Thrones franchise in chronological order
- House of the Dragon
- A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms: The Hedge Knight (coming late 2025)
- Game of Thrones
There are two ways to watch The Game of Thrones franchise: chronologically or by release date. For those wishing to watch it chronologically, they would watch season 1 (and eventually season 2) of House of the Dragon which takes place in 101 AC. Then, once released, A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms: The Hedge Knight will take place in 209 AC, between the events of House of the Dragon and Game of Thrones. You can then finally begin watching all eight seasons of Game of Thrones, which begins in 298 AC.
Watching chronologically removes the risks of spoilers for House of the Dragon, but we recommend watching in the release date order below to understand the Game of Thrones world before delving into the prequel.
How to watch the Game of Thrones franchise in release order
Below you can find the entire franchise in release order, including the latest streaming offers for each of George R. R. Martin's fantasy TV shows. This will show you whether you can watch Game of Thrones on streaming services such as Netflix, MAX, Prime Video and more. We'll also let you know if you the franchise is available to watch legally online for free.
