How to watch Game of Thrones season 8 online
The end is coming; here's how to watch Game of Thrones online.
You want to know how to watch Game of Thrones online, right? And we are happy to help. For anyone not up-to-date with GoT, episode three (aired last Sunday) of the final series was, well, epic and trust us when we say you don't want to miss the next instalment. As the much anticipated fourth episode rapidly approaches, we're here to tell you how you can watch Game of Thrones online from wherever you are in the world.
There's no telling what the next three episodes have in store, but we do know there's no excuse from missing it, especially considering how easy it now is to watch Game of Thrones online. Even if you missed the first three episodes, catching up with it online is almost criminally straightforward. There are loads of streaming services showing them, even in countries where the show isn't being aired. And if you've somehow contrived to have never actually seen Game of Thrones, there are plenty of ways to get caught up.
If the three episodes of season eight are anything to go by, it's shaping up to be the epic, gorefest we've all been waiting for, and the last thing you want to do is miss out on all the fun. So read on for full details of how to watch Game of Thrones online, no matter where you reside.
Watch Game of Thrones online: stream outside your country
If you're in the US, UK, Canada, Australia, New Zealand or India then watching Game of Thrones online couldn't be easier; we've found the best options and they're all listed below.
But how can you watch Game of Thrones season 8 if you happen to be in another country when it's showing? That's when things tend to get a little tricky, because your usual streaming service almost certainly uses geo-blocking to stop people viewing from other countries.
All is not lost, however; if you put a bit of effort into setting up a VPN, it'll change your IP address to a location that matches where you live, so you should be able to view with impunity, no matter where you are.
Finding the best VPN service and setting it up can seem a little daunting, especially considering the enormous choice these days; however we can recommend these three choices:
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- ExpressVPN (comes with a 30 day money back guarantee)
Thanks to its speed, security and ease of use, ExpressVPN is the best-rated VPN in the world at the moment. It lest you watch on multiple devices at once, including Smart TVs, Fire TV Stick, PC, Mac, iPhone, Android phone, iPads and other tablets. And you can sign up for ExpressVPN now and get three months free with an annual plan. - IPVanish supports up to 10 devices and features solid security, so it's perfect if you're on the move.
- NordVPN is an affordable choice, and its SmartPlay tech makes it ideal for streaming.
Watch Game of Thrones online in the USA
If you're in the USA then there's only one way to watch Game of Thrones, and unsurprisingly that's on HBO. And that means signing up for an HBO subscription; however you don't need to be locked into a long, expensive agreement.
There are a few HBO packages to choose from, and they're all fairly flexible, so if you want to you can sign up for a month, watch what you want and then cancel, and there are free trials available on all the packages to sweeten the deal. HBO subscriptions start at $14.99 per month, with the price increasing depending on your package.
The first episode is available to watch on catch-up right now, with the rest of the season showing every Sunday at 9pm ET, 6pm PT.
Watch Game of Thrones online in the UK for free!
Catching Game of Thrones live in the UK takes dedication; you'll need a Sky Atlantic subscription, as that's the only platform with live broadcast rights, and you'll either have to stay up late or get up insanely early as it screens at 2am on a Monday. Stupid time zones.
However if you don't mind waiting until 4am, that's when new episodes of Game of Thrones become available on catch-up, so you can watch on either Sky Go or with a NowTV Entertainment Pass. The great news there is that NowTV has a 7-day free trial, and you can also get a three months of NowTV Entertainment for just £17.99– that's a 25 per cent discount.
Don't forget, though: if you're out of the UK and want to keep up with Game of Thrones season 8, you'll need to download and install a VPN as mentioned earlier.
Watch Game of Thrones online in Canada
Keeping up with Game of Thrones in Canada is nice and simple; Crave is showing the final season at the same time as it airs in the US: Sunday at 9pm ET, 6pm PT. And if you've missed the first episode, it's available right now via catch-up.
Prices vary for Crave depending on your package, but you can get packages including HBO from about $20 per month; you can pay monthly or via annual subscription, and while Crave doesn't offer free trials it'll give you one month free with a subscription.
Watch Game of Thrones online in Australia
To watch the final season of Game of Thrones in Australia, you're going to have to subscribe to Foxtel's cable service or its streaming service, Foxtel Now. But at least you don't need to get up in the middle of the night to see Game of Thrones live; it airs at 11am on a Monday.
There are all manner of Foxtel packages available, but if you haven't signed up before then you can get a free 10-day trial with Foxtel Now.
Watch Game of Thrones online in New Zealand
New Zealanders only have one choice when it comes to seeing Game of Thrones, and that's Sky's premium entertainment channel, SoHo. It shows episodes at 1pm on a Monday and then repeats them at 8.30pm, so there's no need to throw a series of ever more suspicious sickies. And of course episodes are available to watch on catch-up via the SoHo site.
SoHo doesn't do free trials, so you'll either have to buy a subscription or add SoHo to your current TV plan. Packages start at $24.91 per month, increasing depending on how many channels you include.
Watch Game of Thrones online in India
If you're set on getting the cheapest way of watching Game of Thrones online, have you considered moving to India? With a Hotstar premium account, which will set you back just ₹299 ($3) for a month or ₹999 ($14), you'll be able to catch up with the first episode online and see every other episode as it airs. That means getting up at 6.30am on Monday morning, but hey, you're getting off lightly compared to viewers in the UK.
How to watch seasons 1-7 of Game of Thrones online
What's that? You've never actually seen Game of Thrones? How is that even possible? Never mind, because there are plenty of ways to get caught up on all the action; just bear in mind that there's a hell of a lot to get through.
Most of the streaming services we've mentioned above have the first seven seasons ready and waiting for you to enjoy; here are all the viewing options available:
- US: There are loads of options for catching up with Game of Thrones in the States: HBO GO, HBO Amazon channel, Amazon Prime, iTunes, Google Play Store and Microsoft Store.
- UK: To see the whole of Game of Thrones in the UK, the best options are either Now TV or Sky Go. Other options include Amazon Prime, iTunes, Sky Store, PlayStation, Microsoft Store, Chili, TalkTalk TV and the Google Play Store.
- Canada: Things are a little more limited in Canada if you need a Game of Thrones binge; it comes down to Crave Plus, iTunes, PlayStation, Microsoft Store and the Google Play Store.
- Australia: Similarly, in Australia you can only choose between Foxtel Now, iTunes, Microsoft Store, PlayStation or the Google Play Store.
- New Zealand: Things are even more limited in New Zealand; it's either SoHo or no-go. Best bite the bullet and sign up.
- India: You can choose any service here as long as it's Hotstar. But at that price, who's complaining?
- Elsewhere: So, you live somewhere else in the world? There are still options for seeing Game of Thrones; try signing up for a VPN and connecting to one of the countries above; you shouldn't have too much difficulty finding a good stream.
What's next in Game of Thrones?
If you've already seen the first episode of season 8, you'll know that what with all the Starks, dragons and White Walkers, this is gearing up to be a cracking finale to Game of Thrones. Ramp up your anticipation with the trailer for episode 2 above.
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Jim McCauley is a writer, performer and cat-wrangler who started writing professionally way back in 1995 on PC Format magazine, and has been covering technology-related subjects ever since, whether it's hardware, software or videogames. A chance call in 2005 led to Jim taking charge of Computer Arts' website and developing an interest in the world of graphic design, and eventually led to a move over to the freshly-launched Creative Bloq in 2012. Jim now works as a freelance writer for sites including Creative Bloq, T3 and PetsRadar, specialising in design, technology, wellness and cats, while doing the occasional pantomime and street performance in Bath and designing posters for a local drama group on the side.
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