Fans of Game of Thrones outside the United States will now have the chance to watch the show without being spoiled, with HBO's hit fantasy series now debuting its fifth season and subsequent episodes in 170 countries out of 207 it broadcasts in at the same time, according to Entertainment Weekly.
Credit: HBO
Though the release of episodes is typically staggered depending on the country you are watching from, some fans even have to wait months to see new episodes following their debut in America, but now most of the world will participate in dual-screening, with HBO Asia, HBO Canada, HBO Europe, HBO Latin America, HBO Netherlands and HBO Nordic as just some of the networks taking part.
Michael Lombardo, president of HBO Programming said of the news: "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 U.S. - It's going to be a great season."
This new move coincides with HBO launching its brand new stand-alone streaming service HBO Now, which is going to become available via iTunes next month for $14.99.
Recently, fans gave their reasons for illegally downloading the show - the most heavily pirated series in the world - with the length of time it takes to wait for new episodes in foreign countries and the lack of a stand-alone application being the top reasons given.
Game of Thrones season five premieres in the US on HBO on April 12, coming a day later to the UK on Sky Atlantic HD. It's not yet known whether or not the UK will be participating in the dual-screening scheme.
Check out the brand new trailer for Game of Thrones season five here.
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