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 cannot 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 and Breaking Bad.
Season five of the hit HBO show premieres on Sky Atlantic on Sunday.
Cable network launched internet streaming service to curb piracy.