The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power Draws 25 Million Viewers on Day One, Sets New Record for Amazon Prime Video

The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power has set a new record. Amazon Prime Video has confirmed that the LOTR prequel series has drawn 25 million global viewers, within the first 24 hours, making it the biggest premiere on the service. This is a monumental feat, given Amazon has already dumped in over a billion dollars (about Rs. 7,993 crore) for its five-season commitment. The Rings of Power premiered on September 2, with the first two episodes, exclusively on Prime Video.

“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 in a prepared statement, in regards to The Rings of Power's achievement. “I am so grateful to the Tolkien Estate — and to our showrunners J.D. Payne and Patrick McKay, executive producer Lindsey Weber, cast and crew — for their tireless collaborative efforts and boundless creative energy. And it is the tens of millions of fans watching — clearly as passionate about Middle-earth as we are — who are our true measure of success.”

While the record-breaking numbers sound great, it is worth mentioning that this would be the first time Amazon has shared internal TV ratings publicly. And second, like most streaming services, Prime Video has not offered a clear definition of how the viewership numbers are calculated. There is no telling if the figures were based on click-throughs, or hitting a certain timestamp in an episode of The Rings of Power. The Lord of the Rings prequel series launched exclusively on Prime Video in more than 240 countries and territories worldwide.

The eight-episode series continues every Friday at 9:30am IST, starting September 9 with The Rings of Power episode 3. The Rings of Power season 1 is slated to conclude on October 14, paving way for the second season which begins principal photography in October. With The Rings of Power season 2, co-showrunners Patrick McKay and J.D. Payne will be leaving the franchise's long-time home in New Zealand and settling in the UK.

The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power is set thousands of years before the events of the Peter Jackson films, and explores the vast history surrounding the Second Age of Middle-earth. The series is expected to feature the origin story of Dark Lord Sauron, the maker of the One Ring. The series stars an ensemble cast including Morfydd Clark, Robert Arayamo (Mindhunter), Cynthia Addai-Robinson, Maxim Baldry, Owain Arthur, Nazanin Boniadi, Ismael Cruz Córdova, Charles Edwards (The Crown), Markella Kavenagh, and Charlie Vickers.