House of the Dragon season 2 will arrive in June, and it'll be up against some big streaming rivals

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A three-way battle for viewers

Alicent Hightower looks concerned at something off-screen in House of the Dragon season 2
House of the Dragon is seemingly slated to return in three months' time. (Image credit: Theo Whitman/HBO)

House of the Dragon season 2 will take flight on Max in June, according to Warner Bros. Discovery's (WBD) president of streaming.

Speaking at an event during the Morgan Stanley's Technology, Media and Telecom conference yesterday (March 4), J.B. Perrette all but confirmed House of the Dragon would return to our screens in mid-2024. Variety was the first outlet to report on the premiere month for the high fantasy show's sophomore season.

If Perrette can be believed – he's WBD's head of streaming, so there's no reason not to – House of the Dragon season 2 will air two months before its previously leaked launch date. In January, Matt Smith, who plays Prince Daemon Targaryen, suggested the hit series' second outing would arrive in August. Responding to TechRadar's request for comment on Smith's leak, an HBO spokesperson said WBD had "nothing to announce" about House of the Dragon season 2's release date. Now, though, we have a much clearer idea of when the show will return.

Whenever House of the Dragon's next installment makes its debut, it'll be released on HBO and Max in the US. Meanwhile, it'll air on Sky Atlantic in the UK and Binge in Australia – despite Max launching in Latin America in late February, the first non-US territory it's launched in, Max won't arrive in the UK and Australia until Sky and Foxtel's licensing deals with WBD expire. That won't happen until December 2025 and December 2026 respectively, so Sky and Binge will continue to be home to WBD-developed series in these countries for the foreseeable future.

Clash of the titans

Daemon Targaryen sits wearing his suit of armor in House of the Dragon season 2

Matt Smith originally suggested season 2 would be released in August. (Image credit: Ollie Upton/HBO)

House of the Dragon season 2's seemingly confirmed June arrival means we can look forward to an almighty three-way tussle for viewers' attentions very soon.

Indeed, the Game of Thrones prequel series isn't the only big name due out in June. Netflix has announced that season 3 part 2 of period drama series Bridgerton (one of the best Netflix shows) will be released in June 13, so fans are sure to tune in to see what delicious drama will be cooked up after part 1's May 16 launch.

But Bridgerton season 3 part 2 isn't alone in debuting on one of the world's best streaming services. Fans of R-rated superhero fare will be settling in to catch The Boys season 4 on Prime Video, too, with the hugely popular Amazon TV show's next entry premiering on that date.

The arrival of Bridgerton season 3 volume 2, plus one of the best Prime Video shows, on the same date would be a juicy enough event. If House of the Dragon season 2 is also released that weekend on June 16 – HBO TV shows usually air on Sundays – it would pit one of the best Max shows against its peers in a streaming clash for the ages. That would be a lot of TV to consume in a single weekend, but you won't hear me complaining. As Ken Watanabe's Doctor Serizawa opined in 2014's Godzilla movie: "Let them fight", and let's see who wins.

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Tom Power
Senior Entertainment Reporter

As TechRadar's senior entertainment reporter, Tom covers all of the latest movies, TV shows, and streaming service news that you need to know about. You'll regularly find him writing about the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Star Wars, Netflix, Prime Video, Disney Plus, and many other topics of interest.

An NCTJ-accredited journalist, Tom also writes reviews, analytical articles, opinion pieces, and interview-led features on the biggest franchises, actors, directors and other industry leaders. You may see his quotes pop up in the odd official Marvel Studios video, too, such as this Moon Knight TV spot.

Away from work, Tom can be found checking out the latest video games, immersing himself in his favorite sporting pastime of football, reading the many unread books on his shelf, staying fit at the gym, and petting every dog he comes across. Got a scoop, interesting story, or an intriguing angle on the latest news in entertainment? Feel free to drop him a line.