Jennifer Salke, chief of Amazon Studios, has announced that “The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power” has become one of the most-watched shows ever on Prime Video’s streaming platform. The second season of “The Rings of Power” debuts two years after the series first aired, delving into Sauron’s (Charlie Vickers) rise to power through the creation of the iconic Rings. Although the first season attracted a significant audience, a mere 37% of domestic and 45% of international viewers finished watching it.
However, as reported by Variety, Salke issued a memo to the staff, indicating that the second season has placed the series among the top five original shows on the streaming service. This achievement aligns it with other popular series like “Fallout,” “Reacher,” and “The Boys,” which secured their top-five status due to recent releases this year. Amazon also disclosed that 40 million viewers have watched the second season within the first 11 days, though the long-term viewership for the new episodes remains uncertain.
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Even though the show is performing well for Prime Video, claiming 40 million viewers in 11 days is modest compared to the first season, which reportedly attracted 25 million viewers on its premiere day in 2022. Nevertheless, Luminate’s data does not fully support these high figures, indicating the three-episode debut over Labor Day weekend garnered 553.5 million minutes, equating to about 2.7 million views. Yet, these numbers still position the show near the top of Prime Video’s successful original content.
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Despite its apparent success and the likelihood of a continuation, the series remains the most costly television production ever, with episodes reportedly exceeding $50 million each. This financial aspect heightens concerns about the show’s sustainability, especially given criticisms of its slow pacing and lack of engaging storylines. Nonetheless, with Amazon’s commitment to a five-season plan, as long as it maintains its status as a top-performing show, its continuation seems assured.
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Season 3 Seems Inevitable
Given the show’s strong performance for Prime Video, a third season of “The Rings of Power” seems inevitable. Although the series is only midway through its second season, the true extent of its viewership strength will be clearer in the coming weeks. However, as it stands among the streamer’s top five most-watched original series, its promising future suggests that its complete narrative will be realized.
New episodes of “The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power” Season 2 are available every Thursday on Prime Video.
Source: Variety
The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power
- Adventure
- Fantasy
The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power brings to screens the heroic legends of the fabled Second Age of Middle-earth's history for the very first time. Set thousands of years before the events of J.R.R. Tolkien's The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings, The Rings of Power will explore a time in the franchise where kingdoms rose and fell, where The One Ring itself was forged and tells the tale of the rise of the greatest foe in the Lord of the Rings Franchise, the Dark Lord Sauron. Beginning in a time of peace, the series follows an ensemble cast of familiar and new characters as they confront the long-feared reemergence of evil in Middle-earth. From the depths of the Misty Mountains to the forests of the elf-capital of Lindon, to the island kingdom of Númenor, to the farthest reaches of the map, The Rings of Power promises to condense the extended works of Tolkien in a condensed but all-encompassing TV show format. The first season of The Rings of Power began airing exclusively on Prime Video on September 2, 2022..