March Madness is already intense and ripe with fan hype on its own, but Game of Thrones managed to up the ante even further.
A 30-second commercial for the show’s upcoming sixth season aired during one of the tournament’s games Friday night, but fans who weren’t watching college basketball had to wait until the following day to see the official promo online (or settle for a poor-quality copy until then). And while we already recognize some of the footage from the previous trailer, Game of Thrones packs a hell of a punch in the little time it has.
There’s no clear sign of Jon Snow in this promo—unless you’re of the belief that he’s riding a horse in the background at approximately 0:21—but the other major players are still moving the pieces, unaware of what’s yet to come. Drogon is keeping an eye on Daenerys Targaryen in Vaes Dothrak, Tyrion Lannister attempts to keep Meereen from descending into chaos, and even the Night’s King is moving forward—grabbing Bran in what most of us thought was one of his visions.
“You’re in the great game now, and the great game is terrifying,” Tyrion warns once again, which works as much for March Madness as it does in Westeros.
Screengrab via GameofThrones/YouTube