A television director who has helmed Game of Thrones ' episodes recently claimed that although Game of Thrones was the most pirated show of 2012, it survives thanks to "cultural buzz."

David Petrarca, who has also directed episodes of Hung and True Blood, made the statement while speaking at the Perth's Writers Festival last weekend, according to The Sydney Morning Herald. He was speaking at a panel focused on the rise of premium cable TV channels as a dominant form of storytelling, and was keen to emphasize the fact that shows like Game of Thrones capitalize on the social commentary they generate.Petrarca also made the observation that HBO has 26 million subscribers in the US and 60 million worldwide, so really, the cable channel's not doing too badly at all, despite last year's somewhat grim statistic.More interestingly, Petrarca observed that there was a "false line" between Hollywood and television these days, as "everyone wants to do premium cable now," noting Martin Scorsese's involvement in Boardwalk Empire as a prime example.

Lucy O'Brien is Assistant Editor at IGN AU and would really like to visit Perth one day. Follow her on IGN at,oron Twitter.