In a move to fight piracy, "Game of Thrones" is going global.
The upcoming fifth season of HBO's massively popular series will be simulcast in more than 170 countries, according to CNET. "Game of Thrones" is one of the most pirated shows in the world, so the decision to release episodes at the same time worldwide is an effort to crack down on the need for people to illegally download it.
"We are thrilled to see our international partners jumping on board to bring 'Game of Thrones,' one of the most universally loved television shows in the world, to global audiences at the same time it airs on HBO in the US," HBO President of Programming Michael Lombard said in a statement. "It's going to be a great season."
All ten episodes of the season will air on HBO in America at 9 p.m. EST and at the same time will be on the network's sister stations-- HBO Asia, HBO Canada, HBO Europe, HBO Latin America, HBO Netherlands and HBO Nordic
Other channels participating in the simulcast that have ties to HBO include M-Net (Africa), Foxtel (Australia), Telenet (Belgium in Flemish), Orange (France), 365 Media (Iceland), DBS (Israel) plus Sky Deutschland, Sky Italia and SKY New Zealand, Betv (Belgium in French), Intervision (Greece), Amedia (Russia) and DTS (Spain), CNET reported.
The Independent reports that Sky Atlantic, the network that broadcasts "Game of Thrones" in the United Kingdom, has not agreed to the deal. As a result, British fans of the show will still be 19 hours behind the first broadcast of each episode.
Check out the latest trailer for season five of "Game of Thrones" below.
