Series is still the Network's top money spinner
In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, HBO programming president Michael Lombardo has issued some unusual - and probably insightful words - on the illegal downloading of its smash series 'Game of Thrones'. Fans of the show will know that its just returned to UK screens for its third season on Sky Atlantic.
The DVD release of Season 2 set sales records for HBO and was also the most illegally downloaded TV series of 2012 but Lombardo was fairly phlegmatic about that in the interview, describing the fact as, "a compliment of sorts."
I probably shouldnt be saying this, but it is a compliment of sorts, Lombardo said. The demand is there. And it certainly didnt negatively impact the DVD sales. [Piracy is] something that comes along with having a wildly successful show on a subscription network.
The show is currently HBO's top money-earner despite its widespread piracy, Lombardo confirmed. If you look at aggregate of international and DVD sales which are the two revenue streams we look at since were not selling it domestically on another platform yes, absolutely, in terms of shows we have on now, Lombardo said.
The executive seems more upset that downloaders will be viewing 'Thrones' on a compromised basis due to the nature of compression.
One of my worries is about the copies [downloaders are] seeing, Lombardo said. The production values of this show are so incredible. So Im hoping that in the purloined different generation of cuts that the show is holding up.
Despite his seemingly relaxed attitude to the pirates, he warned that the network maintains a tough stance on such activities: We obviously are a subscription service so as a general proposition so we try to stop piracy when we see it happen, particularly on a systematic basis when people are selling pirated versions, he said.
According to one estimate, Thrones second season finale was illegally downloaded 4.3 million times worldwide last year.
In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, HBO programming president Michael Lombardo has issued some unusual - and probably insightful words - on the illegal downloading of its smash series 'Game of Thrones'. Fans of the show will know that its just returned to UK screens for its third season on Sky Atlantic.
The DVD release of Season 2 set sales records for HBO and was also the most illegally downloaded TV series of 2012 but Lombardo was fairly phlegmatic about that in the interview, describing the fact as, "a compliment of sorts."
I probably shouldnt be saying this, but it is a compliment of sorts, Lombardo said. The demand is there. And it certainly didnt negatively impact the DVD sales. [Piracy is] something that comes along with having a wildly successful show on a subscription network.
The show is currently HBO's top money-earner despite its widespread piracy, Lombardo confirmed. If you look at aggregate of international and DVD sales which are the two revenue streams we look at since were not selling it domestically on another platform yes, absolutely, in terms of shows we have on now, Lombardo said.
The executive seems more upset that downloaders will be viewing 'Thrones' on a compromised basis due to the nature of compression.
One of my worries is about the copies [downloaders are] seeing, Lombardo said. The production values of this show are so incredible. So Im hoping that in the purloined different generation of cuts that the show is holding up.
Despite his seemingly relaxed attitude to the pirates, he warned that the network maintains a tough stance on such activities: We obviously are a subscription service so as a general proposition so we try to stop piracy when we see it happen, particularly on a systematic basis when people are selling pirated versions, he said.
According to one estimate, Thrones second season finale was illegally downloaded 4.3 million times worldwide last year.
