How Much Money Does Game Of Thrones Make Hbo

Game Of Thrones Budget Explained: How Much The Show Cost To Make

Game of Thrones cost an astronomical amount of money to make during its eight-season run on HBO — here's a breakdown of the show's budget.

Game of Thrones cost an astronomical amount of money to make during its eight-season run on HBO. Based on George R.R. Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire novels, the epic fantasy series was developed by David Benioff and D.B. Weiss. After a failed Game of Thrones pilot in 2009, HBO ordered an extensive re-shoot before the series officially launched in 2011. Not only did the title become one of HBO's most popular shows in history, but the series emerged as a pop culture phenomenon. Game of Thrones officially came to an end with an eighth and final season in 2019. Though it was a creative decision, the show's ending now allows the network to allocate funds elsewhere to rebuild its forthcoming slate of programming.

Throughout an eight-year span, Game of Thrones aired a total of 73 episodes. Designing the fictional world of Westeros and other locations surrounding the Seven Kingdoms was a difficult feat. Developing the show was a global endeavor considering the filming locations needed to create Game of Thrones. There was also a very large ensemble cast who didn't carry affordable pricetags by series end. While some of the biggest stars like Kit Harington, Emilia Clarke, and Lena Headey were making upwards of $500,000 an episode, the young stars like Sophie Turner and Maisie Williams were making around $175,000. While that might seem like a lot compared to other TV show salaries, it's important to number the size of Game of Thrones' regular cast.

HBO certainly didn't greenlight Game of Thrones without acknowledging the expenses required for every aspect of the series. When the series began, the costs to make season 1 was said to be around $50-60 million, which breaks down to $5-6 million per episode. Much of the debut season was shot across Northern Ireland and Malta, but production's reach expanded as Game of Thrones continued. With that, the required budget gradually increased — despite HBO's initial resistance.

Benioff & Weiss Managed To Get An Increased GOT Budget As Time Went On

The $5-6 million average remained throughout the first five seasons of Game of Thrones, except for one particular episode. Season 2's penultimate episode, "Blackwater," featured an enormous battle sequence, which required extremely large set pieces with catapults, various props, and a full-scale 14th-century ship. In order to properly develop the Battle of Blackwater episode, Benioff and Weiss requested an extra $2.5 million. HBO countered with $2 million, bringing the total cost of just that one episode to $8 million.

Beginning in season 6, Game of Thrones received an increased budget of around $10 million per episode. With that production cost, season 6 came in at $100 million total whereas season 7 cost $70 million total. Some of the most notable episodes within this span included "The Door," "Battle of the Bastards," "Stormborn," and "Beyond the Wall." The final season of Game of Thrones consisted of six total episodes, and some of which were extended. For the show's last hurrah, which included a number of epic battle sequences, HBO shelled out $15 million per episode. Even with a controversial ending, the network doesn't seem to carry regrets since they're moving forward with the first Game of Thrones prequel, House of the Dragon, set to release in 2022.

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Kara Hedash is a features editor and writer for Screen Rant. From time to time, she dives into the world's most popular franchises but Kara primarily focuses on evergreen topics. The fact that she gets to write about The Office regularly is like a dream come true. Before joining Screen Rant, Kara served as a contributor for Movie Pilot and had work published on The Mary Sue and Reel Honey. After graduating college, writing began as a part-time hobby for Kara but it quickly turned into a career. She loves binging a new series and watching movies ranging from Hollywood blockbusters to hidden indie gems. She also has a soft spot for horror ever since she started watching it at too young of an age. Her favorite Avenger is Thor and her favorite Disney princess is Leia Organa. When Kara's not busy writing, you can find her doing yoga or hanging out with Gritty.