HBO Exec Sees Game of Thrones Piracy as a Compliment

Over the past few years the battle of piracy between the industry and the many civilian pirates has heated up with geeks at the forefront.

Industry execs claim that they are suffering major financial losses as young pirates use their knowledge to stick it to the “man”. It may have started with the music, taking example from Napster and Limewire; but in this present digital age television and movies are pirated just as much.

Michael Lombardo, an HBO programming president, felt differently from an executive’s perspective. In a recent interview with Entertainment weekly, Lombardo spoke about the television sensation, Game of Thrones. Games of Thrones the epic fantasy series was top of the charts in pirated television shows in 2012. Lombardo’s take on the matter was rather interesting, he sees the piracy rates as an honor and also an indication that the following and demand for the show is very strong. Lombardo continued to say that the piracy of the series didn’t have an effect on the DVD sales.

Game of Thrones is the highest earner on the HBO network so they have the right to act as the golden child. The series has a steady flow of sales internationally, which helps their numbers overall. But Lombardo believes that piracy is expected when you have such a successful product that is hosted on digital platforms. His view on the topic is much different than expected from most high ranking executives especially coming from a network such as HBO.

Of course HBO will remain anti-piracy, but to Lombardo he sees it as more of a compliment than an intentional low blow to their business. Especially because the Game of Thrones brand continues to grow even despite how it is being distributed. More and more followers are gained as the episodes go viral and the series is still meeting its quota in stores.