"The latest episode of House of the Dragon, "The Red Dragon and the Gold," depicting the pivotal Battle at Rook's Rest from George R.R. Martin's novel Fire & Blood, drew the largest first-night audience of the season with a total of 8.1 million viewers across all platforms. This marks a season high for the show, surpassing the season two premiere. Although the on-air viewership has declined compared to previous seasons, streaming has helped bridge the gap. The show's first-night average viewership stands at 7.5 million so far this season, down approximately 18-20% from season one, with the total viewership for the season opener reaching 25 million within three weeks. House of the Dragon on Max also saw a surge in viewership leading up to the latest episode, indicating strong audience engagement and potential for continued growth in viewership numbers."