Game of Thrones: Episode 4, The Spoils of War leaked online, Star India responsible

In a bizarre coincidence, hackers stole 1.5 terabytes of data from HBO and threatened to leak it, including material on Game of Thrones. But before they could carry out the threat, the unaired episode 4, titled The Spoils of War, was leaked online on Friday, three days before it is officially aired, by someone else. The leak seems to have originated from Hotstar, the Indian streaming service where the show is aired ‘minutes before America’.

The file, which is being circulated on piracy websites, confirms that the episode is the season’s shortest yet. It lasts 50 minutes. What can also be confirmed is that the Star India watermarks that appear on the file.

According to a report on The Verge, “a leak from a distribution partner is the source of this episode appearing online. The distribution partner is Star India, and the company’s logo appears watermarked throughout the leaked episode.”

A Star India spokesperson confirmed the leak: “This confirms the compromise of episode 4 of Game of Thrones Season 7, earlier this afternoon,” said a Star India spokesperson. “We take this breach very seriously and have immediately initiated forensic investigations at our and the technology partner’s end to swiftly determine the cause. This is a grave issue and we are taking appropriate legal remedial action.”

HBO declined to specify what materials had been targetted, although episodes of Ballers and Room 104 were rumoured to have been acquired by the hackers.

In an automated email reply sent to Variety, the hackers wrote that it will “release the leak gradually every week,” adding that the next release may come on “Sunday”.

Game of Thrones is currently three episodes into its seventh season.