Game of Thrones finale breaks piracy record

Game of Thrones is a popular show among downloaders.

The final episode of the third season of Game of Thrones broke piracy records, it has been reported.

The highly anticipated finale, which followed the controversial "red wedding" episode in which several major characters were killed, had a record 170,000 simultaneous shares on BitTorrent, The Hollywood Reporter said.

It was downloaded more than a million times in the 24-hour period after the show aired, beating all other records, said THR.

The episode, called Mhysa, also had 5.4 million "live" viewers watching it on HBO, making it the second most popular episode in the show's three-season run, THR reported.

But HBO officials aren't complaining about people pirating the show. Some even admit it has helped build the show's profile.

"I probably shouldn't be saying this, but it is a compliment of sorts," HBO programming president Michael Lombardo recently told Entertainment Weekly.

"(It's) something that comes along with having a wildly successful show on a subscription network."

The show, based on the popular fantasy novels by GRR Martin, has been pirated since its first season began airing in 2011.

Game of Thrones' second season was named the most pirated TV show of 2012 by Forbes magazine.

* Read our Game of Thrones season three winners and losers recap here.

- nzherald.co.nz