'Rings of Power' rebounds with higher viewership despite mixed reviews

"The Rings of Power" has returned. After a poorly received first season, it has been said that the creators have managed to partially regain the favour of viewers. However, it's hard to talk about an "internet hit."

"The Rings of Power" was one of the most anticipated series of recent years. However, the first part disappointed fans of the Middle-earth stories. And the second? "You can see the money in every frame, and it feels like more is happening than in the first season. The action undoubtedly accelerates. There is no longer a need to build worlds slowly, set characters on the Middle-earth board, and try to win over viewers. Now it's time for specific actions that will ultimately lead to what fans of Tolkien's story have been waiting for - the great battle for life and power between the allied forces of elves and men against Sauron's dark army," you'll read in our review.

The series "The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power" achieved impressive viewership on the Amazon Prime streaming platform, amassing 40 million viewers worldwide within the first 11 days of the second season's premiere. These figures, provided by Amazon, put the series' latest instalment among the most-watched productions. However, in that initial period, the results of the debut season of the series "Fallout" on this platform do not match. Let's recall that "Fallout" had a viewership level of 65 million viewers. Despite this, the second season of "The Rings of Power" is still among the top five most popular TV productions on Amazon Prime.

The series' global reception is particularly impressive for the platform, as a significant portion of the audience comes from outside the United States. However, no data has been provided to support this claim.

As reported by Variety, Prime Video's messages to employees emphasise its gratitude for the hard work put into producing "The Rings of Power." "We have brought a wonderful and timeless story to a new audience," writes Jennifer Salke, head of Amazon Studios.

Let's recall that the first season of "The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power" debuted in the autumn of 2022. Critics declared it a failure, and viewers expressed their outrage online, where, among other things, a racist scandal erupted around the actors involved in the production. There was also controversy surrounding the production budget—it was said to reach a billion dollars for all five planned seasons. The €230 million was spent acquiring the rights to adapt Tolkien's story.

The second season of "The Rings of Power" can be watched on Prime Video starting on August 29, 2024, Greenwich Mean Time.