Amazon’s ‘Lord of the Rings’ prequel draws 25 million viewers

Amazon announced on Saturday 3 September that its big budget series The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power, based on the works of JRR Tolkien, had marked the biggest premiere in the history of Prime Video — with 25 million viewers.

With this flagship production that started streaming on Friday, Prime Video aims to counter the lure of HBO and its prequel to the hit series Game of Thrones, House of the Dragon, which began airing on 21 August.

HBO also has said it had its best premiere, with its prequel, with nearly 10 million viewers in the United States alone.

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Biggest premiere: ‘The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power’

The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power attracted more than 25 million global viewers on its first day, breaking all previous records, marking the biggest premiere in the history of Prime Video,” a company statement said. It has aired the first two episodes.

“It is somehow fitting that Tolkien’s stories — among the most popular of all time, and what many consider to be the true origin of the fantasy genre — have led us to this proud moment,” said Jennifer Salke, head of Amazon Studios.

Watch: ‘The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power’ trailer

Amazon coughs up billion dollars

The series, which will air until 14 October, is crucial for Amazon, which wants to play in the ultra-competitive streaming landscape, where Netflix, Disney+ and HBO Max are already battling it out.

The Rings of Power is set during Tolkien’s Second Age in Middle-earth, thousands of years before the events of The Hobbit and Lord of the Rings, Tolkien’s cult trilogy which has already been adapted for film.

Amazon paid $250 million to buy the rights, and some $465 million was spent on the first season alone. The group having committed to five seasons, the final sum should top one billion dollars by far.

— By © Agence France-Presse