Skip to main content

Forget your weekend plans and watch Game of Thrones free on HBO Friday through Monday

Been missing Game of Thrones? Don’t worry, Jon Snow and company have missed you, too. So much, in fact, that you’ll be able to watch the hit show this weekend — for free. Were those the screams of villagers running from night walkers or just your exclamations of excitement? Don’t worry, we won’t tell either way.

Just in time for the highly anticipated premiere of GOT’s sixth season, HBO has announced a free preview weekend. Whether you’re an HBO subscriber or not, you’ll be able to watch hits like Game of Thrones, Silicon Valley, Veep, Jurassic World, and more. So if you have weekend plans, cancel them. You’re about to go on a binge that puts previous binges to shame.

Recommended Videos

From today to Monday, HBO and Cinemax are feeding your television addiction. If you’ve got a cable subscription (with just about anyone), you’re in luck — you’ll have (at least) 48 hours to watch as many hit shows and television movies as humanly possible. In addition to Sunday’s GOT premiere, in which we’ll finally learn the truth of Jon Snow’s supposed demise, HBO has quite a few other programs to push. There’s Beyoncé’s Lemonade special event, the season premiere of Silicon Valley, and a new episode of Last Week Tonight with John Oliver. No seriously, you have to cancel your weekend plans.

So is 48 hours actually enough time to satisfy your TV cravings? Depends on what you’re going for. If you’re one of the lucky few who haven’t had their lives completely taken over by the citizens of Westeros and the magic of George R.R. Martin’s world, you can dive down the rabbit hole tonight if you choose. Each episode of the hit show is about 55 minutes long and there are 50 episodes thus far. So if you start right on time, you’ll be looking at 47 hours of nothing but scheming, sex, violence, and dragons. Sounds like a pretty solid time to us.

Lulu Chang
Fascinated by the effects of technology on human interaction, Lulu believes that if her parents can use your new app…
The Last of Us is over. Here are 5 more movies and TV shows to watch based on video games
Joel smiling in a horse, Ellie holding on to him from behind in "The Last of Us" season 2.

HBO's hit adaptation of The Last of Us has finally reached the end of its second season, meaning that fans of the show will likely try to fill the void as they wait for season 3. Some may be looking to watch other top-tier adaptations of their favorite video games, which might be a challenge. For many years before The Last of Us, the film and television industries have struggled to develop high-quality adaptations of beloved video games.

However, in recent years, there has been a growing number of film and TV adaptations like The Last of Us that respect and even build upon the source material. While the world holds its breath for The Last of Us season 3, here's a guide to five must-see movies and TV shows based on video games.

Read more
3 underrated HBO Max movies you should watch this weekend (May 23-25)
A group of teens stand behind a police line.

One of Warner Bros. bigger releases of the year finally arrives on HBO Max. Mickey 17, Bong Joon Ho's sci-fi black comedy based on Edward Ashton's novel, hits the service on May 24. One of the film's legacies will be its box office disappointment. However, Bong remains a master of social critique, and Mickey 17 will find a new life on streaming once more people see it.

Mickey 17 is only one of the many movies on HBO Max. (Yes, HBO Max is coming back.) When you look past the homepage, you'll find some underrated movies that are worth streaming. Our picks are a Final Destination entry, a Judd Apatow dramedy, and a twisty sci-fi thriller.

Read more
3 underrated HBO Max movies you should watch this weekend (May 16-18)
Kya Clark sits against a tree in Where the Crawdads Sing.

Did you see the latest trailer for Superman? The new footage hammered down the emotional dilemma Superman faces as he tries to find his place in the world. Fans of James Gunn will know the filmmaker has a knack for telling impassioned stories, i.e., the Guardians of the Galaxy trilogy. Gunn clearly wants to make an emotional superhero epic. We'll find out if that happens on July 11.

Superman will likely stream on HBO Max by the end of 2025. For now, try streaming some under-the-radar movies this weekend. Our suggestions include a South Park documentary, a wild neo-noir, and a mystery romance.

Read more