'Game of Thrones' earns Guinness World Record for Largest TV Drama Simulcast

HBO hit drama series “Game of Thrones” has officially earned its second Guinness World Record. The popular fantasy series landed in the 2016 edition of the book by breaking the record for "Largest TV Drama Simulcast."

According to Business Insider, HBO made the decision to air the fifth season of the show in 173 countries simultaneously. The move allowed fans from all over the world to watch the series at the same time as it was being premiered in the United States, unlike in the first four seasons.

While illegal downloads of the episodes still persisted, the simulcast was able to earn the show the big numbers it needed to break the record for "Largest TV Drama Simulcast," which was previously held by CBS crime series “CSI.”

The official Guinness World Records website reports that the record was achieved in the second episode of “Game of Thrones” Season 5. The advantage over the “CSI” record was very slim, with the HBO show edging out the CBS series by only two countries.

British actress Maisie Williams, who plays Arya Stark in the TV series, was on hand to accept the certificate on behalf of the show. She was delighted to be part of the record-breaking series and said, “I'm so pleased for Game of Thrones to be a part of Guinness World Records, I'm going to tell my step brother as he gets the book every year for Christmas. I can't wait to see the look on his face!”

This is the second record to be held by the series, and it is directly connected to the first. “Game of Thrones” has held the Guinness World Record for “Most pirated television program" since 2012. It is because of the persistent piracy issue that HBO decided to air the show simultaneously in so many countries around the world. Season 6 of “Game of Thrones” is currently under production and is expected to air in spring 2016 on HBO.

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