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HBO, Netflix clamp down on press screeners.

Risk of piracy means no House of Cards nor Game of Thrones previews for media this year.

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2016-03-03_1138

Damn u pirates…..!

HBO and Netflix have both declined to send media preview screeners for their big hits Game of Thrones and House of Cards, respectively.

House of Cards fourth season drops tomorrow, globally on Netflix.

A Netflix spokesperson today told TV Tonight, “We haven’t made any screeners available at this stage.”

Meanwhile HBO programming president Michael Lombardo has told EW, “We’re not sending out press copies this year, anywhere in the world.

“There will be no copies for review.”

Previously HBO had sent DVD screeners with coded watermarks, but it didn’t entirely prevent leaks. Last year it moved to online screeners -still with watermarks- and still they were leaked. Season 6, due in April, has plenty of anticipation given the question marks about the Jon Snow character and because the storyline charts its own course while fans await the next book from George R.R. Martin.

But the practice appears to be a case by case decision. In the US some House of Cards reviews do exist, presumably offered on a select basis.

Whilst HBO and Netflix are holding off their biggest titles, they are still sending screeners for other titles, encouraging reviews.

If Game of Thrones leaks without any press screeners in the market, then what….?

5 Responses

  1. I don’t understand the need to see it the microsecond it comes out. I just record it and binge on the season at a time that suits me. Besides, it will be broadcast here in WA at 8am on Anzac Day – better things to be doing on this day.

  2. Absolutely the right call for Game of Thrones – no need for the press to know anything ahead of it’s premiere and TV shows are slowly but surely finding out that viewers really hold much more value in stories playing out on screen than being leaked in the press before broadcast.

    And considering House of Cards is all available to view immediately no real need for screeners there.

  3. Curious, I wonder whether the producers of the shows heard about his, HBO may be having a dream run but other productions have been rumoured to have audience tested their pilot first episodes with leaks.

  5. Then Both HBO and Netflix have problems with people who work for them, presumably, if leaks get out, even without the screaners being made available.

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