The return of Game of Thrones has sparked a surge in internet piracy with fans making more than 100,000 illegal downloads per day . More than seven million episodes from seasons one to four were illegally downloaded between February and April this year as fans of the hit HBO show caught up or re-capped before its eagerly-return on Sky Atlantic on Sunday night . Figures by anti-piracy and security firm Irdeto revealed overall illegal downloading of show is up 45 per cent year-on-year , jumping from 4.9 million for the same two-month period in 2014 . Popular : Emilia Clarke as Daenerys Targaryen in the first series of the hit show . New figures reveal it is the most illegally downloaded show in the world . The top country for illegal downloads of Game of Thrones episodes was Brazil , which accounted for almost one million of them , followed by France in second , the US , Canada and the UK . The snapshot also revealed the top five TV shows illegally downloaded during the same period were period were The Walking Dead ( 5.7m ) , Breaking Bad ( 3.8m ) , Vikings ( 3.4m ) and House of Cards ( 2.7m ) . Worldwide following : There were seven million illegal downloads of Game of Thrones , which features Natalie Dormer as Margaery Tyrel above , . Appeal : Fans of the hit HBO show have been rushing to download old episodes featuring Jack Gleeson as King Joffrey , left , and Nikolaj Coster-Waldau as Jaime Lannister , right . Lack of access for global audiences is used as a defence of pirates , as many of their favourite films and shows that debut in the US are delayed by weeks or months . So to make it easier for people to watch legally , HBO announced in March that the forthcoming season will air across 170 countries at the same time . This week the cable network also launched a new internet streaming service , HBO Now , in an attempt to curb piracy and recapture revenue , although it is only available in the US . The return of Game of Thrones , starring Nathalie Emmanuel as Missandei , above , has sparked a surge in internet piracy with fans making more than 100,000 illegal downloads per day . 'Piracy is a tidal wave that can not be controlled , only managed , ' said Irdeto in its report . 'But if people want to continue to have great TV shows like Game of Thrones , business models need to be protected . '
Fans downloaded seven million episodes between February and April . Illegal downloads beat favourites The Walking Dead . Season five of the hit HBO show premieres on Sky Atlantic on Sunday . Cable network launched internet streaming service to curb piracy .