How to watch ‘Game of Thrones’ season 8 for free

After eight years, seven seasons, and two long years of waiting for a return, we are finally at the end of Game of Thrones. Cersei warned in season 1 that when you play this game, you win or you die—and boy, was she right.

Game of Thrones season 8 has multiple chances to be among the biggest events in TV history, starting with the premiere. Season 7 started with the most-watched season premiere of any HBO series to date, not including the 90 million times it was pirated. (*rings bell* “SHAME!”)

Instead of illegally downloading, just watch the Game of Thrones season 8 premiere for free. We’ll show you all the ways you can tune in without being a criminal, and answer some frequently asked questions below. 

What channel is Game of Thrones on?

As always, Game of Thrones will be available exclusively on HBO. So get ready for that pounding instrumental theme song to take its rightful place after HBO’s static intro again. 

When does Game of Thrones season 8 air?

The season 8 premiere of Game of Thrones will air on Sunday, April 14 at 9pm ET.

Subsequent episodes will be on Sundays at the same time. There are six episodes scheduled for the final season, ranging in length from 54 minutes to a whopping 82 minutes. The third episode is the longest of the season.

Game of Thrones will air its final episode on Sunday, May 19.

3 ways to watch Game of Thrones for free

How to watch Game of Thrones for free

Game of Thrones is only available on HBO. But there are plenty of options to access the premium cable channel for free. Each of these services offers a one-week trial so you can tune in live and avoid spoilers on social media.

1) Amazon Prime Video with HBO

Amazon

• Cost: $14.99 per month (after a 7-day free trial) for HBO | $119 per year for Prime
• Devices: Amazon Fire Stick, Fire TV, Fire tablets, and Fire phone; Roku, Google TV, TiVo, Nvidia Shield, PlayStation 3 and 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Wii

HBO is one of the best standalone channels available for purchase on Amazon Prime Video. If you’re a Prime member, it’s a convenient way to stream HBO hits like Veep, True Detective, and Game of Thrones. You’ll have access to live streaming and on-demand, so you can catch up on old episodes if you need to rewatch.

TRY PRIME VIDEO FOR FREE

2) HBO Now

HBO Now

• Cost: $14.99 per month (after 7-day free trial)
• Devices: Amazon Fire TV, Fire TV Stick, and Fire TV Cube, Android TV, Apple TV, PlayStation 3 and PlayStation 4, Roku, Samsung Smart TV, Xbox One and Xbox 360.

If all you want is HBO, its proprietary on-demand service HBO Now will give you instant access to the channel’s entire history of his shows, movies, and documentaries, along with the ability to live stream new shows and specials. You’ll never run out of things to watch. 

READ MORE:

• The best movies on HBO Go and HBO Now
• The best HBO documentaries
• The best new movies on HBO: 2018 new releases

VISIT HBO NOW

3) Hulu and Hulu with Live TV

Hulu with Live TV

• Cost: $7.99-$11.99 for Hulu or $44.99 per month (after a 7-day free trial) for Hulu with Live TV | $14.99 per month for HBO
• Hulu devices: Roku, Apple TV, Google Chromecast, Amazon Fire Stick and Fire TV, Xbox One, Xbox 360, Nintendo Switch, and iOS and Android devices
• Local channels: ABC, CBS, Fox, NBC, the CW (check your local availability here)

Adding HBO to your Hulu account is easy. If you’re looking for an online cable package that comes with all that great Hulu on-demand content, Hulu with Live TV is a great offer at a great price. You’ll have almost 60 channels to flip through, including HGTV, a full suite of ESPN channels, Cartoon Network, FX, and even deep cuts like Nat Geo Wild and Syfy. Whichever Hulu package you choose, adding HBO will cost $14.99 a month after your free trial expires. (Here’s the complete list of Hulu Live TV channels.)

READ MORE:

• The best new movies on Hulu: 2018 new releases to watch
• The best thrillers on Hulu
• Funny movies on Hulu when you need a good laugh
• 10 sad movies on Hulu guaranteed to make you cry

TRY HULU LIVE FOR FREE

4) PlayStation Vue

PlayStation Vue

• Cost: $44.99-$79.99 per month (after a 7-day free trial) | $14.99 per month for HBO
• PlayStation Vue devices: PlayStation 3 and 4, Roku, Amazon Fire, Google Chromecast, Kodi, iOS and Android devices
• Local channels: NBC, Fox, ABC, CBS (enter your ZIP code here to check your availability)

If you have a PS4 and want your gaming and streaming needs met in the same place, PlayStation Vue is for you. You don’t need a PS4 to enjoy this service, though. You can also use a Roku, Amazon Fire devices, and Kodi. Plus, you’ll get channels like AMC, BBC America, and Bravo in PlayStation Vue’s entry-level package. One subscription works with up to five devices, all with unlimited cloud DVR storage making it one of the most binge-friendly solutions. (Here are all of PlayStation Vue channels.) HBO is one of several premium channels you can add to your subscription.

TRY PLAYSTATION VUE FREE

Game of Thrones recap before season 8

You can dive into our in-depth review of everything we know ahead of season 8, but here’s the briefest possible version that will only make sense if you have watched up to season 7. Consider this your spoiler warning.

Jon Snow (The King in the North!) has made a formal alliance with queen Daenerys Targaryen and had sex with his aunt in a boat. Tyrion saw and is probably forcing Greyworm and Missandei to drink because of it. Varys is more concerned with Dany’s Mad King vibes. Cersei Lannister remains on the Iron Throne and has no friends except Qyburn, Zombie Mountain, and Euron Greyjoy, who is bringing her an army and elephants. The Hound nearly confirms Cleganebowl is coming and could benefit from training with his new friend (and former enemy) Brienne. Jaime flees north to avoid baby mama drama.

*takes a giant breath*

Bran is a robot. Sansa and Arya are friends again. The Night King knocked down the wall with a zombie Viserion and somehow Tormund and Beric escaped an avalanche. Theon grew some…uh, courage and rallied the ironborn to go avenge his sister. Sam and Gilly are about to drop a genealogical bomb on Jon. Jorah got his skin back. Melisandre should be on her way back from Volantis to die. Gendry is probably still catching his breath from running. And we still don’t know what Podrick did to those girls but that’s probably why Bronn took him out of the dragon pit.

Regardless of where their alliances lie, everyone else is gearing up for several major battles. Or they’re dead.

How to catch up on Game of Thrones episodes

Want to rewatch Game of Thrones episodes ahead of the final season? Your best bet is subscribing to HBO Now (covered above), but you can also buy old episodes. 

1) Amazon Video

Amazon

• Cost: $1.99/episode, $19.99-24.99/season
• Devices: Amazon Fire Stick, Fire TV, Fire tablets, and Fire phone; Roku, Google TV, TiVo, Nvidia Shield, PlayStation 3 and 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Wii

Seasons 1-7 of Game of Thrones are available for purchase on Amazon Video starting at only $1.99 an episode or $19.99 a season. 

BUY ON AMAZON

Was Game of Thrones canceled?

Game of Thrones season 8 will be the final run for the series. All good things must come to an end, including the books that inspired the show.

Since season 6, Game of Thrones has outpaced A Song of Fire and Ice as George R.R. Martin is still racing to complete the sixth and seventh novels in the series. The show will air its final episode before Martin releases the highly anticipated Winds of Winter.

Fans of the books shouldn’t fret about spoilers, though. In a Rolling Stone feature on Maisie Williams and Sophie Turner, Martin said, “The major points of the ending will be things I told them five or six years ago.” The show has already diverged from the books over the years and the showrunners don’t intend to share any details about the differences in season 8 once it’s wrapped, according to Entertainment Weekly.

Game of Thrones cast

• Peter Dinklage as Tyrion Lannister
• Nikolaj Coster-Waldau as Jaime Lannister
• Lena Headey as Cersei Lannister
• Emilia Clarke as Daenerys Targaryen
• Kit Harington as Jon Snow
• Liam Cunningham as Davos Seaworth
• Sophie Turner as Sansa Stark
• Maisie Williams as Arya Stark
• Alfie Allen as Theon Greyjoy
• Nathalie Emmanuel as Missandei
• Gwendoline Christie as Brienne of Tarth
• John Bradley as Samwell Tarly
• Isaac Hempstead Wright as Bran Stark
• Rory McCann as Sandor “The Hound” Clegane
• Conleth Hill as Varys
• Carice van Houten as Melisandre
• Kristofer Hivju as Tormund Giantsbane
• Hannah Murray as Gilly
• Jerome Flynn as Bronn
• Joe Dempsie as Gendry
• Iain Glen as Jorah Mormont

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