Game of Thrones premiere date benefits The Walking Dead

The Game of Thrones finale season premiere date will help The Walking Dead as one bows for its season finale while the other kicks off its final season.

Over the years two of the top shows have shared many things in common. In addition to being fan favorites, amassing legions of loyal fans, Game of Thrones and The Walking Dead are both network darlings. Game of Thrones has propelled HBO as much as The Walking Dead has for AMC. In April, one show will bow for its season finale while the other celebrates its finale season premiere, and it’s a benefit for both shows.

Just as rivals compete for best toys or best grades in school, Game of Thrones and The Walking Dead have faced off for ratings in a friendly rivalry that has seen both writers’ rooms paying tribute to each other with Easter Eggs hidden in their respective shows. Both shows air on Sunday nights and in the past they have aired at the same time, forcing fans to choose which show to watch live and which to record.

For Game of Thrones’ final season, there’s no need to worry about overlap because the show premieres April 14, which is after The Walking Dead’s ninth season wraps up. If the second half of season 9 airs without skipping a week, then we can expect the season finale on Sunday, March 31.

Though The Walking Dead has seen its ratings trend downward in recent years, season 9 has been a rebound for the show as it moves into a new era without Rick Grimes and with an expanded universe of endless possibilities with movies, limited series and possibly entirely new series. Similarly, HBO will launch its own spinoffs after the flagship bows to keep George R.R, Martin’s stories going into perpetuity.

For fans of both shows, it will be nice to have something to look forward to after The Walking Dead ends and the long wait for season 10 begins. Not having to choose one over the other is also helpful.

The Walking Dead returns February 10 on AMC and Game of Thrones returns April 14 on HBO.