"Game of Thrones"--HBO Announces the Digital Release of Season 5

"Wholly captivating. Better than ever." - Vanity Fair
"On a scale like nothing else on TV" - Variety

Nominated for 24 Emmy Awards® Including Outstanding Drama Series
GAME OF THRONES®: THE COMPLETE FIFTH SEASON

Iconic Series Available to Download on Digital HD August 31, 2015
Blu-rayTM and DVD Release Set for March 15, 2016

New York, N.Y., July 30, 2015 - The "worldwide phenomenon" (USA Today) is back and this time fans will be able to download it on their favorite devices earlier than ever. Game of Thrones: The Complete Fifth Season will receive an early digital release on Monday, August 31, 2015 before its Blu-ray/DVD release on March 15, 2016. Fans can pre-order the season on Digital HD now through their favorite digital platforms. The release marks the first time a season of Game of Thrones is being released early on Digital HD.

Season 5 of the hit HBO® show is the most-honored series for the 2015 Emmy Awards, with 24 nominations including Outstanding Drama Series, Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series (Peter Dinklage) and Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series (Emilia Clarke & Lena Headey). A season pass purchase of Game of Thrones: The Complete Fifth at select retailers is also packed with bonus content that takes fans behind the scenes of Season 5, including two never-before-seen pieces* available exclusively with the Digital HD release. Full details for the Blu-ray and DVD release will be announced at a later date.

Digital HD bonus features include:

    Introduction to Dorne* - Visit the kingdom of Dorne in this special that delves inside the impressive realm and its many colorful characters, including Prince Doran Martell (Alexander Siddig) and the fiery Ellaria Sand (Indira Varma) and her venomous Sand Snakes (Keisha Castle-Hughes, Rosabell Laurenti Sellers and Jessica Henwick).
    Poisons of Westeros* - Explore the devious methods of poisoning seen throughout Game of Thrones in this featurette.
    Invitation to the Set - Visit the set of Game of Thrones for this intriguing preview.
    A Day in the Life - Glimpse the epic scale of Game of Thrones in this featurette that spends one day touring various Season 5 sets in Croatia, Spain and Ireland. See cast members preparing to shoot scenes while prominent members of the show's massive crew talk about the many jobs they must oversee-sets and costumes, hair and makeup, and much more-to keep the production operating smoothly.
    Set Design - Production designer Deborah Riley reveals the thought process behind the impressive sets used to create the territory of Dorne in Season 5.
    The Weapons of Dorne - Game of Thrones weapons master Tommy Dunne takes a close-up look at the razor-sharp armaments he created for the Sand Snakes and other inhabitants of Dorne in this featurette.
    New Characters & Locations - Take a tour of the new locations in Season 5 and meet some of the new players in this featurette. Included are visits to the sets of Dorne and the House of Black and White as well as introductions to Doran Martell, the Sand Snakes, the High Sparrow, and more.
    Season 4 Recap - Revisit every twist and turn from the thrilling fourth season.
    Trailer - Whet your appetite for Season 5 with this exhilarating glimpse at things to come.

Suggested Retail Pricing:

    HD Season pass: $38.99
    SD Season pass: $28.99

Season 5 begins with a power vacuum that protagonists across Westeros and Essos look to fill. At Castle Black, Jon Snow struggles to balance the demands of the Night's Watch with those of newly-arrived Stannis Baratheon, who styles himself the rightful king of Westeros. Meanwhile, Cersei scrabbles to hold on to power in King's Landing amidst the Tyrells and the rise of a religious group led by the enigmatic High Sparrow, while Jaime embarks on a secret mission. Across the Narrow Sea, Arya seeks an old friend while a fugitive Tyrion finds a new cause. And as danger mounts in Meereen, Daenerys Targaryen finds that her tenuous hold on the city requires some hard sacrifices. This season features some of the most explosive scenes yet, as the promise that "winter is coming" becomes more ominous than ever before.

About HBO Home Entertainment®
HBO Home Entertainment develops, distributes and markets an extensive array of critically-acclaimed and groundbreaking programs in three formats-Blu-ray, DVD, and Digital HD-throughout the world.  Releases include the global hit Game of Thrones®, the #1 selling TV on DVD/Blu-ray title in major territories throughout the world over the past four years, in addition to current hits and classic favorites including True Detective®, Girls®, The Sopranos®, Sex and the City® True Blood®, The Wire® and Entourage®. The company's catalog contains hundreds of titles including multiple Emmy® Award-winning mini-series The Pacific® and Band of Brothers®, which holds the record through 2014 as the all-time best selling TV on DVD/Blu-ray title in the US; provocative programs from HBO Documentary Films including The Jinx: The Life & Deaths of Robert Durst and The Case Against 8; innovative movies from HBO Films including Game Change and The Normal Heart; hit Cinemax® original series including BansheeSM and Strike Back®; and comedy specials featuring stand-up performers like Bill Maher and Billy Crystal.  Launched in 1984, HBO Home Entertainment has offices in New York, London and Toronto. The company's releases are sold in more than 70 territories around the world and are digitally distributed on a transactional basis across an expanding number of territories and platforms.