HBO Game of Thrones
Fans who watch Game of Thrones on HBO GO in a number of countries are in for a disappointment tonight. The long-awaited Season 8 Episode 3 is currently projected to air an hour late in a number of countries around the world, including Poland and Hungary. It seems that the United States is not going to be affected by this time change. (If you are in one of these affected countries, you should still check at the time HBO would normally air Game of Thrones, just in case they change their minds.)
The delay is apparently due to security issues and concerns about leaks, since the video is typically uploaded to the servers before premiering in the U.S. and around the world. Some countries are more prone to leak episodes and this move might cut down on possible leaks. (Note: Be wary of links in this story that go to r/freefolk on Reddit. That particular subreddit allows spoilers without spoiler warnings.)
Redditor u/hungirlian first noticed the issue in a Facebook post. Unfortunately, the post doesn’t seem to be viewable in the U.S. or it’s been taken down. Here’s a screenshot of what the user saw:
HBO
Roughly translated, the post reads that due to high-level security, the new episode will air an hour later on HBO GO in Hungary: at 4 a.m. rather than 3 a.m. On television, it will still air at its regular time.
Redditors noted that similar announcements were made for HBO Portugal, but others said Portugal will only be delayed by 20 minutes.
A similar announcement was also made for HBO GO in Poland, noting that it will likely air an hour late there too at 4 a.m. rather than 3 a.m. Redditors also noted announcements of the same in Serbia, Slovakia, Czechia (the Czech Republic), and the Ukraine.
So far, countries with delayed HBO GO times include:
- Hungary
- Ukraine
- Poland
- Portugal
- Serbia
- Slovakia
- Czechia
- Romania
It’s unclear if HBO NOW will have the same delay in affected countries or if this is only relevant for HBO GO.
To find out if your country is affected, check the Facebook social media page for your country’s HBO. The announcement will be made there.
Remember: If you are in one of these affected countries, you should still check at the time HBO would normally air Game of Thrones, just in case they change their minds.
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