Why HBO is hosting its huge 'Game of Thrones’ premiere in S.F.

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Thanks in part to the tech industry, San Francisco will become the heart of the “Game of Thrones” universe on Monday night.

HBO is hosting a star-studded season five premiere of the beloved fantasy series in a region rich with tech-savvy workers who are expected to become the first customers of its new stand-alone Internet channel, HBO Now.

The cast and crew, including stars like Peter Dinklage (Tyrion Lannister) and Executive Producer David Benioff, will mingle with some 3,000 invited guests at the War Memorial Opera House. A lucky 1,000 will get into the after-party at City Hall.

The San Francisco premiere comes two weeks after HBO CEO Richard Plepler announced the company’s digital future on tech’s biggest stage: an Apple product event at the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts Theater. There, he revealed that HBO Now would be available exclusively on Apple TV on April 12 with the season’s first “Game of Thrones” broadcast.

Bringing both to San Francisco simply made sense, said HBO spokeswoman Janine McGoldrick.

“The decision to do the 'Game of Thrones’ premiere in San Francisco is tied to our announcement of HBO Now,” she said.

“We know 'Game of Thrones’ has an incredibly passionate fan base in the Bay Area,” she added. After previous season premieres in Los Angeles, New York and London, “it makes sense that we’d bring the premiere to S.F. this year.”

Actor Peter Dinklage is among the cast and crew members scheduled to appear at Monday’s event.



Click through the photos to see a sneak peek from season 5 and images from the London premiere. Actor Peter Dinklage is among the cast and crew members scheduled to appear at Monday’s event.



Click through the photos to see a sneak peek from season 5 and images from the London premiere. Photo: Paul Schiraldi / Associated Press Photo: Paul Schiraldi / Associated Press Image 1 of / 54 Caption Close Why HBO is hosting its huge 'Game of Thrones’ premiere in S.F. 1 / 54 Back to Gallery

The network plans to stream the red carpet arrival on Facebook, and will pick 100 fans at random from social media channels to attend the event in person in a special “fan zone” next to the red carpet. (Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg has said he is an avid “Game of Thrones” fan, but a company spokeswoman was not sure whether he would attend.)

HBO Now is one of a several new online TV offerings, including Dish Network’s Sling TV and Sony’s PlayStation Vue, designed for viewers who have cut the cord with traditional pay TV companies.

HBO’s $15-per-month service breaks from the channel’s history with traditional cable and satellite television providers because it will be a stand-alone subscription service that requires only a broadband Internet connection.

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And “Game of Thrones,” which has generated a rabid following, figures to be HBO Now’s biggest draw.

There’s already plenty of hype for Monday’s premiere. One pair of tickets sold for $6,000 on eBay as a fundraiser for Defenders of Freedom, a Texas nonprofit group that helps U.S. military veterans.

Benioff and his wife, actress Amanda Peet, provided the tickets after they were contacted by a Defenders of Freedom board member and CNN anchor Jake Tapper.

The tickets were the single biggest fundraising item the 10-year-old organization ever had, said founder Donna Cranston.

“I was pleasantly surprised to say the least,” said Cranston, who has never watched the show but plans to start this season.

San Francisco Chronicle staff writer Wendy Lee contributed to this report.

Benny Evangelista is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. E-mail: bevangelista@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @ChronicleBenny