• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia

Trendingnow

1

As U.S. Treasury intervened in the bond market, the Netherlands rushed 86 tons of gold out of America because of ‘geopolitical unrest’

2

He failed the military pilot eye test—so he built a $1 million-a-day traffic company and bought flying lessons. Now he’s Top Gun’s stunt pilot 

3

Current price of oil as of September 4, 2026

1

As U.S. Treasury intervened in the bond market, the Netherlands rushed 86 tons of gold out of America because of ‘geopolitical unrest’

2

He failed the military pilot eye test—so he built a $1 million-a-day traffic company and bought flying lessons. Now he’s Top Gun’s stunt pilot 

3

Current price of oil as of September 4, 2026
Arts & Entertainmentgame of thrones

The Final Season of ‘Game of Thrones’ Will Cost $15 Million Per Episode

By
Tom Huddleston Jr.
Tom Huddleston Jr.
Down Arrow Button Icon
By
Tom Huddleston Jr.
Tom Huddleston Jr.
Down Arrow Button Icon
September 27, 2017, 5:28 PM ET
Video Poster
Google source logo
Add Fortune on Google for similar content.

As if Game of Thrones weren’t already anxiously awaiting the final season of the popular fantasy TV franchise, now it’s being reported that HBO will be spending a massive amount on each of the six remaining episodes.

The series, which only just wrapped its record-setting seventh season, will return at some point in either 2018 or 2019 for what will be its final run. It’s already well-known that the final season of Game of Thrones will be shorter, at just six episodes, and that each of those episodes could have a much longer run time than that of a typical 60-minute drama. But, according to a new Variety report, each of those final episodes should be jam-packed with action, and high production quality, as HBO is set to spend a whopping $15 million on each installment.

Part of the reason for that huge price tag is the fact that the episodes will run longer than usual (though, the show’s seventh-season finale clocked in at almost 80 minutes). But, as anyone who follows the plot of Game of Thrones could guess, the final six episodes are also likely to feature an inordinate amount of epic battle scenes that will require their fair share of large-scale set pieces and computer graphics (CGI dragons aren’t cheap). So, it’s no surprise that Game of Thrones will go out with a bang, financially, with HBO willing to spend well above the $10 million price tag that the series’ most recent episodes reportedly included.

Get Data Sheet, Fortune’s technology newsletter.

Variety notes that the ever-growing per-episode cost of prestige TV shows is yet another sign of Hollywood’s embrace of the “Peak TV” era. HBO isn’t the only network spending big on its high-profile TV shows, as Netflix and its $6 billion annual budget for original programming will reportedly spend $8 million per episode for the upcoming second season of popular sci-fi drama Stranger Things, while other networks and streaming services are also seeing per-episode costs skyrocketing due to higher production values and big salaries for the A-list stars who have flocked to television (as well as to Netflix, Amazon, and Hulu) in recent years.

About the Author
By Tom Huddleston Jr.
See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon
Google source logo
Add Fortune on Google for similar content.

Latest in Arts & Entertainment


Most Popular

Fortune Secondary Logo
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • World's Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
  • Lists Calendar
Sections
  • Finance
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Features
  • Leadership
  • Health
  • Commentary
  • Success
  • Retail
  • Mpw
  • Tech
  • Lifestyle
  • CEO Initiative
  • Asia
  • Politics
  • Conferences
  • Europe
  • Newsletters
  • Personal Finance
  • Environment
  • Magazine
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
  • Group Subscriptions
About Us
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • Facebook icon
  • Twitter icon
  • LinkedIn icon
  • Instagram icon
  • TikTok icon
  • YouTube icon

    Latest in Arts & Entertainment


    Most Popular

    © 2026 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
    FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.