Rings Of Power Continues To Smash Records
Rings of Power is the most watched series on Amazon Prime, with over 24 billion minutes of watch time.
A fantasy series based off of a series of dense books is the number one show on its network, though now it’s not Game of Thrones, as Amazon Prime’s Rings of Power has proven itself to be a powerhouse for the streaming service. In an interview with Collider, the Head of Amazon Studios, Vernon Sanders, breaks down what is referred to as a “tremendous success.” The fantasy series is the most watched program on Amazon Prime, beating out The Boys, Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan, and Bosch.
Rings of Power’s first season was seen by over 100 million people, 25 million on the first day alone, which adds up to over 24 billion minutes of watch time. From day one, the series shattered all previously existing premiere records, and amazingly, picked up momentum as the season progressed, with millions of viewers starting to watch after the season ended. As amazing as the numbers are, Amazon Studios needed the show to be a worldwide hit in order to recoup the record-setting budget spent on the show.
Between the cost of acquiring the rights, filming, and marketing for Rings of Power, Amazon spent almost $500 million, a record-setting amount that dwarfs the impressive budgets for Game of Thrones. While the cast and crew were understandably nervous seeing the reactions to the first few episodes, Amazon committed to a five-season run from the onset, showing faith in their blockbuster acquisition. Debuting at the same time as the NFL on Amazon Prime has propelled the streaming service to the top spot in North America, dethroning Netflix again as the two services continue their battle.
Befitting the epic story it is based on, Rings of Power stars a massive ensemble, anchored by Morfydd Clark as Galadriel and Robert Aramayo as Elrond, with even more stars arriving in season 2. Yasen Atour, from Netflix’s The Witcher is coming in, along with another actor from the same series, Sam Hazeldine as the replacement actor for Orc leader Adar. As for if actors playing Sauron and Gandalf will appear in the next season, first off, go watch the season 1 finale, and secondly, the answer is a staunch maybe from producers.
Rings of Power, in addition to being a massive hit for Amazon, also pulled off the impressive feat of overcoming a slow start to finish strong in the season finale. Critics, including ours, that were originally disappointed wound up leaving Middle-Earth satisfied with the first season and looking forward to more. That has not stopped some fans from expressing issues with the series, but when dealing with one of the largest, most passionate fan bases in history, it is impossible to please everyone, and there is nothing wrong with that.
The second season of Rings of Power isn’t likely for 2023, meaning fans will need to wait for 2024 at the earliest to see what becomes of Middle-Earth. Until then, expect more news about casting, plot details, and wild fan theories to be shared during the long wait.
