HBO Launches a Global War for Cord-Cutters
The home of “Game of Thrones” is developing new shows from Spain to Scandinavia as the golden age of television heads overseas.
A scene from the new Polish HBO drama, “Wataha.”
Photographer: Krzysztof Wiktor/HBOHBO has won international acclaim for “Game of Thrones.” Fewer people have heard of “Mamon.”
Yet the Czech drama about a journalist who uncovers evidence of fraud, implicating his brother, often gets more viewers in the Czech Republic than the famous, bloody adaptation of George R. R. Martin’s novels. It’s a common phenomenon that helps explain why HBO is stepping up production of original TV series in Europe and elsewhere outside the U.S.