The core rights to Game of Thrones are split between the author of the books and the company that owns the TV franchise and its screen rights.

Short direct answer

  • The story universe (A Song of Ice and Fire novels and related literary rights) is owned and controlled by author George R. R. Martin and his companies via publishing and licensing contracts.
  • The TV series franchise and its screen rights (the HBO show “Game of Thrones,” spin‑offs, merchandising based on the show, etc.) are owned by Warner Bros. Discovery’s HBO division , which developed and produced the series under license from Martin.
  • As of late 2025, a massive deal has been announced for Netflix to acquire Warner Bros. Discovery’s film and streaming divisions , which include HBO and thus the Game of Thrones screen franchise, meaning ownership of the TV rights is expected to move under Netflix once regulators approve and the deal closes.

Who owns what, exactly?

  • Book/IP ownership (the world and characters)
    • George R. R. Martin created the A Song of Ice and Fire novels on which Game of Thrones is based, and he and his publishers hold the underlying literary rights.
* HBO and other studios license these rights for adaptation; they do not own the original book IP itself.
  • TV show and franchise rights
    • HBO (a division of Warner Bros. Discovery) acquired the television rights and produced the series, holding ownership of the finished show, branding, and related TV exploitation rights.
* This includes things like broadcast, streaming, DVDs/Blu‑ray of the HBO series, and a large chunk of merchandising tied specifically to the show’s look and branding.

What’s changing with Netflix?

  • In December 2025, Netflix announced an $82.7 billion deal to acquire Warner Bros. Discovery’s film and streaming divisions , which include HBO and HBO Max.
  • Reports state that this transfer would give Netflix ownership of major Warner Bros. franchises, explicitly including Game of Thrones and Harry Potter , on the film/TV side.
  • The deal still needs regulatory approval and is expected to close in 2026, so until it fully completes, Warner Bros. Discovery is still the formal owner of the Game of Thrones TV assets.

Simple breakdown

  • Books & world: George R. R. Martin (and his publishing contracts).
  • Existing HBO TV series and TV franchise rights today : HBO / Warner Bros. Discovery, transitioning to Netflix if and when the 2025 acquisition fully closes.
  • Streaming availability : Historically on HBO platforms; expected to live under Netflix’s umbrella once the acquisition is finalized, while still depending on how they choose to integrate HBO content.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.