‘Game of Thrones’ coming to network TV — in Canada

While it would be incredibly entertaining of a major US network decided to watch “Game of Thrones,” unfortunately it is extremely unlikely that this is going to happen. After all, just imagine what the FCC would think of it!

In Canada, however, we’re seeing a rather bold swing from network CTV, who has decided to air the first season of the show in its entirety. Beginning on August 8, the network is planning to air an episode a night during the week, culminating in the season finale “Fire and Blood” airing on August 19. Even more surprising is the fact that they are doing so without any censorship or editing; there will be commercial breaks, but apparently they will be limited.

In a statement regarding the decision, CTV’s senior vice president of programming Mike Cosentino said the following:

“Game of Thrones has never been more popular and now it’s time to make Season 1 available to every Canadian viewer.”

Our assumption at present is that this move is meant to appease some longtime fans of the show interested in watching it back, or potentially appeasement to those frustrated with the HBO situation in Canada. There is no HBO NOW option, and to get HBO Canada it requires spending a ton of money on a robust cable package. This is why piracy is so prevalent here, and in other parts of the world.

Does this matter to American viewers? Not directly, but we would consider the HBO arrangement in Canada to be a reminder of just how lucky you should be to have HBO NOW at this point.

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