Game of Thrones
Cast member Peter Dinklage attends the premiere for the sixth season of HBO's "Game of Thrones" in Los Angeles April 10, 2016. Reuters/Phil McCarten

While the battle for the Iron Throne will keep “Game of Thrones” fans glued to their screens when the HBO high-fantasy drama returns with its Season 6 on April 24, there will be yet another battle brewing in the real world. Foxtel Australia will drop prices for viewing “Game of Thrones” Season 6 to win fans away from BitTorrent channels when the show airs in Australia on April 25.

Foxtel Play has slashed its streaming rates by $15 for the next three months. This is a bid to curb piracy as “Game of Thrones” is the most pirated TV show of all times. Subscribing to Foxtel is the only way to legally view “Game of Thrones” as the pay TV operator has also locked down all digital rights in Australia. This means QuickFlix, iTunes and other digital providers won’t be able to show the series until it’s completely over.

According to The Sydney Morning Herald, to watch the show, users must be subscribed to Foxtel’s Premium Movie & Drama package. While the basic Foxtel Play package still costs $25 per month, Foxtel has slashed rates for its Premium Movie & Drama package from $20 a month to $5 for the three months “Game of Thrones” is on.

Unfortunately, the discount will only be available to new customers, people who want to reactivate their accounts and those who are opting for the Premium Movies & Drama package for an existing account. This may enrage existing customers who have already paid for the package. There is bound to numerous complaints as regards the decision.

Foxtel’s strategy to acquire new customers may also bomb if furious existing customers decide to end their subscriptions and switch over to numerous other streaming sites or decide to download the episodes via BitTorrent.

Apart from BitTorrent, Foxtel will also be facing tough competition from HBO Now’s streaming service. One can easily use a VPN or DNS service to get Now.

Whatever the deal is, “Game of Thrones” fans are going to find one way or the other to find out whether Jon Snow (Kit Harington) is still alive and kicking.

RELATED STORIES