The HBO movie “Game Change” drew 2.1 million viewers Saturday night at 9 PM, making it the most watched HBO original movie in eight years. That does not include replays, which boosted the viewership even higher. Over the course of the entire weekend “Game Change was viewed by 3.6 million viewers.
The film is a dramatization of the 2008 Presidential election, focusing heavily on the relationship between Sarah Palin (who is now a Fox News contributor) and John McCain, as well as their team of advisers.
The numbers are great for HBO, though when compared to broadcast TV, they may seem relatively small. CBS’ “48 Hours Mystery,” which aired at 10 PM Saturday, drew five million viewers. Because HBO is a subscription service that does not have commercials, the measure of success is very different than traditional broadcast or cable TV. Replays are nearly as important as the original airing.
The last HBO original movie to garner higher numbers was 2004’s “Something the Lord Made.”