Game Of Thrones Found A Way To Fix Modern Television's Most Annoying Problem

In the realm of modern television, there is a bottomless pit of acclaimed shows to enjoy for every sort of viewer. It can be a bit overwhelming at times. The frustrating part is that when one finds a show they love, it's often a case of getting somewhere between six and 10 episodes, then having to wait two years or more for another season. Fortunately, HBO and the team behind the "Game of Thrones" universe is trying to solve that problem, to the best of their abilities.

HBO has announced, via the official "Game of Thrones" social media accounts, that fans of the George R.R. Martin franchise are going to get at least one new season of television every single year beginning in 2026 and continuing on through to 2028. The post features several images of dragons with the caption, "One Realm. New Stories. Every Year."

Things will kick off in 2026 when "A Knight of the Seven Kingdom" premieres in January, followed by "House of the Dragon" season 3 later in the year. From there, the shows will split duties, with "A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms" officially returning for season 2 in 2027, followed by "House of the Dragon" season 4 in 2028. So, while it may not be the same show returning annually, there will be new "Game of Thrones" every year for a while, which should help scratch the itch for viewers who've had to exercise a lot of patience when it comes to TV in the streaming era.

It's worth noting that these shows are going to be radically different. "A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms" takes place much closer to "Game of Thrones" in the timeline and will differ greatly from what's come before in HBO's other adaptations of Martin's work.

Be that as it may, it's still giving audiences an annual trip to Westeros, which is more than can be said for many other popular shows. "Stranger Things" season 5 is set to premiere a full nine years after the show debuted on Netflix. "True Detective" has aired four sporadic seasons across a full decade. It happens all the time, with HBO as guilty as any major streaming service. It's not just a streaming problem.

At the same time, it doesn't sound like "Game of Thrones" is going to wade into another issue that has plagued other franchises in the streaming era. Marvel suffered greatly from delivering quantity over quality, releasing several shows a year on Disney+ alongside multiple movies. In this case, a single season of TV per year feels like the right amount to keep people engaged without becoming too much.

As for what happens beyond 2028? It's entirely possible that "A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms" season 3 will become a thing. We also know that HBO developed several other "Game of Thrones" spin-offs that died along the way. Perhaps one of those could be revived (or another one we've yet to hear of will come about). Whatever the case, 2028 doesn't mean the end of the franchise by any means.

For now, fans can take solace knowing that HBO has solved this issue for the time being. It's good business, and it's good for viewers. It's good all around. One can only hope that Netflix, Paramount+, and other companies out there attempt to follow suit rather than remain content with the system as it currently exists.

"A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms" premieres on HBO in January 2026.