The VMAs and the penultimate Game of Thrones finale are going head-to-head

HBO's Game of Thrones will air its penultimate finale Sunday, coinciding with the 2017 MTV Video Music Awards (VMAs). Surely frustrating for many viewers is the fact that the evening's television events are scheduled for the same time — in some time zones, that is.

The VMAs will air live at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PDT on MTV, with pre-show commentary and red carpet arrivals starting two hours earlier. Game of Thrones is scheduled for 9 p.m. ET and 9 p.m. PDT, meaning western viewers will probably be able to watch both shows consecutively, depending on how long the VMAs run, while those watching on the eastern schedule will have to save one show for Monday — or stream on two screens.

The Game of Thrones finale is closing out a short seventh season and setting the stage for the six-episode Season 8, which begins filming in October. The Season 7 finale, "The Dragon and the Wolf," will clock in at 80 minutes and is titled in reference to the sigils of the houses of Targaryen and Stark, indicating important strategic and perhaps relational developments for Daenerys and Jon Snow. Season 8 does not yet have a premiere date; fans may have to wait until 2019 to see the juggernaut series conclude.

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The VMAs will be hosted this year by singer Katy Perry, who will give a "zero-gravity" show of a medley of her recent songs. Perhaps more anticipated is the performance from Kendrick Lamar, who is nominated for eight VMAs, most notably Video of the Year and Artist of the Year. Also possibly on the evening's agenda is a surprise appearance by Taylor Swift, who just dropped her first solo single in three years.