Critics won't be shown 'GOT' season 6 before premiere

For the first time since the show's 2011 debut, HBO will not be sending episodes of "Game of Thrones" out to critics and reporters ahead of the coming sixth season.
"Game of Thrones" returns on April 24.
HBO programming president Michael Lombardo confirmed the decision in an interview with Entertainment Weekly.
"We're not sending out press copies this year, anywhere in the world," he said.
The move comes after the first four episodes of season five leaked early online last year.
It was a crucial batch of episodes filled with twists and turns, like the death of fan-favorite hero Barristan Selmy, a character still alive in the "A Song of Ice and Fire" books on which Thrones is based.

HBO subsequently abandoned sending out physical DVDs and switched to a password-protected digital screening site in which users must go through an extensive credentialing process before they are approved.

Season six differs from past seasons in a major way, furthering the stories of Daenerys Targaryen, Tyrion Lannister and other characters before their stories advance in the pages of George RR Martin's novel series.
In January, Martin confirmed that his sixth book, "The Winds of Winter", would not be published before season six of "Thrones", putting the show's story ahead of the books.
Given the highly secretive nature of the story as it stands now, it appears HBO is taking extra precautions to keep the aftermath of Jon Snow's "death" and other secrets exactly that - secret.

According to Lombardo, Thrones showrunners David Benioff and DB Weiss were lead advocates in the decision to keep early episodes close to the vest this season.
"When you have press copies, inevitably friends ask, 'Can I see your copy?' There are things that happen," he said. "We talked about the upsides and downsides. Some of the press are fans, who might be disappointed, but they'll understand.