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Game of Thrones streaming: where to watch the series in 2026?

Where to watch Game of Thrones streaming in 2026? Max (formerly HBO Max) holds the rights in most markets. Complete guide: 8 seasons, House of the Dragon, why Netflix doesn't have it, and how to use a VPN abroad or for a richer catalogue.

AvisVPN October 12, 2026 6 min read

Watching Game of Thrones streaming in 2026: complete guide

Game of Thrones remains one of the most searched streaming shows, with its 8 seasons (2011-2019) and a universe that keeps expanding through the spin-offs House of the Dragon and A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms. The recurring question is simple: which platform actually has it? This guide covers the platform that truly holds the rights, why Netflix has never had the series, and how a VPN can help while travelling or for a richer catalogue.

Quick summary:

  • Official platform: Max (formerly HBO Max), the rights holder in most markets, including France since June 2024
  • Bundle access: some pay-TV packages (Canal+ in France) include Max without a separate subscription
  • Netflix: never held the rights, HBO keeps exclusivity on its own platform
  • Spin-offs: House of the Dragon and A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, both on Max
  • Abroad: VPN with a home-country server to keep your Max or bundled subscription working
  • Richer catalogue: Max US carries a wider HBO/Warner catalogue, reachable with a VPN

The Game of Thrones universe: the show and its spin-offs

The 8 seasons of Game of Thrones (2011-2019)

Adapted from George R. R. Martin’s novels (A Song of Ice and Fire), the original series runs 8 seasons and 73 episodes, produced by HBO. It remains the reference point and the natural starting point for any new viewer.

House of the Dragon: the prequel

House of the Dragon, set around 200 years before the events of Game of Thrones, follows the Targaryen succession war. Season 3 aired in France between June and August 2026, with a new episode each week on Max (released overnight Sunday into Monday, due to the time difference with the US broadcast).

A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms: the second spin-off

A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, adapted from George R. R. Martin’s Tales of Dunk and Egg novellas, premiered on Max in January 2026 (season 1, 6 episodes). A second season has been greenlit for 2027.

Where to watch Game of Thrones by country (2026)

Max: the platform that holds the rights

Max (Warner Bros Discovery) launched directly in France on June 11, 2024, ending OCS’s historic exclusivity on HBO content there. Since then, Max is the only platform that genuinely hosts Game of Thrones across most of its markets:

  • All 8 seasons of Game of Thrones, permanently
  • House of the Dragon (every season)
  • A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms
  • Compatible with mobile, desktop, Smart TV, Chromecast, Fire TV, Apple TV

Max pricing in France (2026):

  • Max Basic with ads: €5.99/month
  • Max Standard (ad-free): €9.99/month
  • Max Premium (ad-free, 4K): €13.99/month
  • Roughly 16% off on annual billing (about two months free)

USA: Max is the primary home for the series, alongside occasional rotations of individual seasons on other services. UK: Max is also the reference platform.

France: the Canal+ bundle route

Canal+ does not hold its own rights to Game of Thrones: the broadcaster acts as a distributor. Some Canal+ packages bundle Max into their offer, accessible through the myCanal app without a separate Max subscription:

  • Canal+ Ciné Séries: around €34.99/month with no commitment (€29.99/month for the first 12 months on a 24-month contract), includes Max, Netflix, Paramount+ and Ciné+ OCS
  • Canal+ La Totale: the most complete package (Ciné Séries + Sport), around €75.99/month after the promotional period
  • RAT+ Ciné Séries (ages 18-26): around €19.99/month with no commitment

This bundling is why Canal+ carries an official page for the series and ranks well in search results: the broadcaster hosts Max inside myCanal, without being the actual rights holder.

OCS: the historic broadcaster, now without the series

OCS (Orange) was long the French broadcaster for HBO shows, including Game of Thrones. Since Max’s direct launch in France, Game of Thrones has left the OCS catalogue, which has refocused on recent post-theatrical films, original productions and independent cinema.

Why Game of Thrones is not on Netflix

Netflix has never held the rights to Game of Thrones, in France, the US or most countries. The reason is purely strategic: HBO (owned by Warner Bros Discovery) treats the series as one of its flagship titles, alongside House of the Dragon. Licensing it to Netflix would mean funding a direct competitor with its most profitable content. The same exclusivity logic applies to the entire HBO Originals catalogue, reserved for Max.

Watching Game of Thrones abroad with your subscription

Your Max or bundled subscription doesn’t automatically work outside your home country (beyond limited allowances for temporary travel within the EU). If you’re travelling to Morocco, Thailand, the US or elsewhere and want to keep watching:

  1. Subscribe to NordVPN or Surfshark before you leave
  2. Connect to a home-country server from abroad
  3. Open Max or your bundled app normally: your subscription works as if you were still at home

You’re using your own paid subscription, no piracy involved. It’s exactly as if you were physically in your home country.

Accessing a richer Max catalogue (with a VPN)

Max US carries a wider HBO/Warner catalogue than several other regional versions (more HBO Originals series and a larger slice of the Warner Bros film library). If you already hold a Max subscription (from any market):

  1. Keep your Max subscription active
  2. Connect to a US server with NordVPN or Surfshark
  3. Open Max: you’ll see the broader US catalogue

Legal: you pay for Max, you use Max. The terms of service discourage this workaround, but it remains a contractual matter, not piracy.

Our recommendations by profile

Fan who wants to binge all 8 seasons

Max Basic for 1 month (€5.99/month with ads), then cancel if you don’t plan to stay subscribed.

Existing Canal+ subscriber (France)

Check first whether your package (Ciné Séries, La Totale, RAT+) already includes Max: if so, no extra subscription is needed, everything streams through myCanal.

Fan of the wider Warner/HBO universe

Max Standard (€9.99/month, ad-free): also covers House of the Dragon, A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, and the rest of the HBO catalogue (Succession, The Last of Us, Euphoria…).

Frequent traveller

Max or a bundled subscription + NordVPN (€3.49/month): your subscription follows you everywhere.

Fan who wants the Max US catalogue

Max + Surfshark (€2.19/month) or NordVPN, US server, for a wider HBO/Warner catalogue.

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To go further: our VPN savings hub, our free legal streaming guide, our streaming comparison, or the Harry Potter streaming article.

Frequently asked questions

Where to watch Game of Thrones streaming?
Game of Thrones streams on Max (formerly HBO Max) in most markets, including the USA, UK and France (since June 2024, ending OCS's historic exclusivity there). In France, some Canal+ bundles (Ciné Séries, La Totale, RAT+ Ciné Séries) include Max at no extra subscription. While travelling, a VPN with a home-country server keeps your existing subscription working.
Is Game of Thrones on Netflix?
No, Game of Thrones is not on Netflix, in the US, France, or most countries. HBO (Warner Bros Discovery) owns the worldwide rights and keeps its flagship franchise exclusive to its own platform, Max, rather than licensing it to a direct streaming competitor. The same exclusivity applies to House of the Dragon and the rest of the HBO Originals catalogue.
Where can I find all the seasons of Game of Thrones?
All 8 complete seasons of Game of Thrones are permanently available on Max, in the original language with subtitles where applicable. It is the only place that hosts the full series without rotation or removal. Where Max is bundled into a local pay-TV package (such as Canal+ in France), you get the same full access through that provider's app.
Where can I watch the complete Game of Thrones series?
To watch the complete series plus its spin-offs (House of the Dragon, A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms), Max is the only platform that centralises the whole universe in one place. A single month's subscription is enough to watch everything, with the option to cancel afterwards if you don't plan to stay subscribed.
Where can I watch Game of Thrones?
You can watch Game of Thrones on the Max app (mobile, desktop, Smart TV, Chromecast, Fire TV, Apple TV), or through a local pay-TV provider's app if your bundle includes Max, as is the case with some Canal+ offers in France. Abroad, a VPN connected to a home-country server lets you open your subscription normally, as if you were still at home.
Where can I find the complete Game of Thrones box set to stream?
The full Game of Thrones catalogue streams on Max, sometimes at no extra cost if you already hold a bundled pay-TV subscription that includes it (in France: Canal+ Ciné Séries, La Totale, or RAT+ Ciné Séries). OCS, which historically carried HBO shows in France, no longer has the series since its exclusivity deal with HBO ended.

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