Game of Thrones, already the most pirated television show of 2015, has seen the opening four episodes of its latest season leaked online despite desperate efforts from its producers to keep a lid on content ahead of its official premiere.
The first four episodes began to sprout on Saturday night after being uploaded to several torrent sites, a full day before the first episode was due to premiere.
Confirming the security lapse an HBO spokesperson said: “Sadly, it seems the leaked four episodes of the upcoming season of Game of Thrones originated from within a group approved by HBO to receive them. We’re actively assessing how this breach occurred.”
It is believed that the leaked content stems from copies sent to reviewers ahead of the show’s launch and has proved a nightmare for hard-core fans keen to avoid spoilers ahead of their weekly fantasy fix.