Poster for "Game of Thrones". [Photo: cnbeta.com]

Four episodes of the new series of Game of Thrones have leaked online.

Four of the fifth season's episodes have been leaked online. The New York Times reports that since appearing online on Saturday, the four episodes have already been downloaded several hundreds of times.

The network suggests that the leaked episodes were culled from screening copies provided to critics and reviewers prior to broadcast. In a statement HBO acknowledged the leak and said they were looking into assessing how the breach occurred.

Game of Thrones is a favourite among illegal downloaders as the series is frequently one of the more popular shows available on torrenting sites.

Anticipation for the series is so feverish that even the series' fifth season trailer leaked before its scheduled release date. In an effort to decrease piracy of the new season, HBO previously announced plans to launch Season Five in over 170 countries and territories simultaneously.