The Rings of Power’ Season 1 Struggled to Retain Viewership

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Very little lore can compare to the work put into the creation of The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien. A brilliant literary piece that immerses its readership. So it was no surprise that when Peter Jackson pulled off his Lord of the Rings trilogy, coupling his own genius to Tolkien's birthed an epic masterpiece. Despite his next crack at the lore flopping somewhat with The Hobbit trilogy, expectations were high when Amazon Studios announced a new series, The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power. But it would seem that one of the most expensive series ever had a challenge with its viewership.

The show's premiere did not disappoint, pulling in an impressive 25 million viewers to join the return to Middle Earth breaking records for the streamer along the way. By end of the eight-episode first season, Amazon Studios head Vernon Sanders touted the series as the studio's "most watched show ever" and with good reason given that Rings of Power had been seen by 100 million people worldwide with more than 24 billion minutes streamed. However, a new report from The Hollywood Reporter has revealed that in the United States, only 37 percent of viewers who started the series, saw it to its completion. The numbers from international audiences fared better, however, it still had less than half of its viewers complete the adventure with just 45 percent. By industry standards, a 50 percent completion rate is seen as "solid" albeit not ideal.

This report does not come from Amazon officially but was reportedly from individuals within the organization. Amazon is prepared to continue to view Rings of Power as a success, having gone into production for Season 2 in October, with the series set to return in 2024, Amazon Studios CEO Jennifer Salke wants to remain positive. Per the same report, Salke dismisses the assertion that the show's inability to retain viewers is a problem stating that the fantasy series remains a hit in hand for Amazon. "This desire to paint the show as anything less than a success — it’s not reflective of any conversation I’m having internally," she said, adding that the second season will have even bigger, more dramatic storylines. "That’s a huge opportunity for us. The first season required a lot of setting up."

https://collider.com/rings-of-power-...-1-viewership/