What Happens to a Post-Game of Thrones HBO?

By Reuben Levine | May 31, 2016

What will happen to HBO once the biggest show of all time, Game of Thrones, wraps up in two years?

HBO is constantly in the business of developing content. The real chase, however, isn’t just to make something good that people watch, it’s to make something that becomes a part of popular culture. The Sopranos, True Detective, and Game of Thrones are three shows that come to mind. The fact that the network even has at least three is an impressive feat.

But Game of Thrones is going to end, as all things do. In two years, the story of Iron Throne will conclude, and HBO will have to fill the gigantic void. If there’s not already something else in place by then, there could be some damage. Game of Thrones is not just a mega-hit; it’s a worldwide phenomenon.

Check out this Game of Thrones cast interview from ABC News:

More from HBO

It’s more likely that there will be a time in which HBO has no show on or close to that level. For example, The Sopranos went off the air in 2007 and Game of Thrones didn’t come on until 2011. That’s not to say that HBO didn’t have compelling content during that five-year gap, but they didn’t have anything like the aforementioned two shows.

You can be assured that this is a problem that HBO has been trying to solve, and it could be what lead to the show being extended to eight seasons instead of the original seven. Fans don’t want Game of Thrones to end, and neither do they. Vinyl could have been that show, but that hasn’t worked out so far.

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What will happen in a post-Game of Thrones world is anyone’s guess. The network could coast on Veep, Silicon Valley and a few new dramas for a while without landing on something huge. That’s assuming those shows will still be on, of course. It was difficult to imagine HBO without The Sopranos, and the same is true with Game of Thrones. It could be years before HBO has another hit that even comes close to Game of Thrones.