Game of Thrones uses Level 3's content delivery network for streaming

Winter is still coming, this time via HBO Go. Level 3 has been 'pivotal' to the Game of Thrones streaming experience, says HBO's CDO

Game of Thrones, the popular fantasy series based on the books by George R R Martin and now in its seventh season, uses Level 3's Content Delivery Network (CDN) as its streaming platform.

As a preferred partner of programme maker HBO, Level 3 enables the HBO GO platform's streaming of the show, providing subscribers with the ability to watch the hit series on their mobile device, tablet, laptop, gaming console or smart TV.

"HBO viewers expect a high-quality, seamless viewing experience across all of our platforms, regardless of device or location," said Diane Tryneski, Chief Digital Officer at HBO. "Level 3 has been pivotal in our ability to stream Game of Thrones and other HBO programming to our customers, and we look forward to continuing our partnership with them, particularly for the highly anticipated new season of Game of Thrones," she added.

Laurinda Pang, Regional President, North America and Asia Pacific at Level 3 explained that the CDN is optimised for media delivery.

"With increasingly higher bitrates, and more viewers and devices accessing HBO GO content, the importance of relying on a network optimized for media delivery cannot be overstated. Game of Thrones is one of the most popular shows in the world, and HBO's use of Level 3's CDN for the HBO GO platform will enable millions of people to enjoy the show anytime, anywhere, on any device."

Level 3 says that in 2016, its CDN delivered 15 exabytes of data and answered 33.4 trillion requests for content like videos or photos.

It adds that its CDN comprises more than 15,000 servers distributed across six continents in more than 100 major cities - all connected to the Level 3 network. In addition, the CDN offers 22 terabits of CDN egress capacity and provides up to 60 petabytes of storage (one petabyte of data is equivalent to 13.3 years of high-definition video).