'LotR: The Rings of Power' premiere attracts 25M viewers globally!
What's the story
The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power is one of Amazon Prime Video's biggest and most bankable projects. The series globally premiered on Thursday (Friday in India). The show has proved to be so successful for the streamer that it reportedly broke a 15-year-long precedent on Saturday to reveal its staggering viewership data: the premiere attracted a global audience of over 25M!
Context
Why does this story matter?
The series is based on JRR Tolkein's novel series The Lord of the Rings. However, the show is set many years before the events that take place in The Hobbit and will explore the Second Age of Middle Earth. Developed by JD Payne and Patrick McKay, The Rings of Power is said to be the most expensive series ever, with a budget of $1B!
Viewership
Amazon Prime Video reported 25M view within 24 hours
The Rings of Power made its debut on Prime Video with two episodes that were launched in 240 countries and territories. After the big premiere, the e-commerce giant announced that the show was viewed by around 25M people across the globe during the initial 24 hours of its release! This reportedly proved to be Prime Video's biggest premiere ever in its 15-year history.
Information
72-hour-long delay for reviews imposed to avoid negative review bombing
Furthermore, Prime Video imposed a 72-hour-long delay for users to post reviews about the show in an attempt to weed out intentional negative reviews by trolls. The series gained some amount of hate online for casting people of color as elves, dwarves, harfoots, and other characters of Tolkien's fantasy world. Prime Video used the same initiative for A League of Their Own, too.
Details
Second Age might show the rise and fall of Sauron
The adaptation of Tolkien's books will explore the lesser-known story of the Middle Earth in the Second Age. Moreover, it might also explore the rise and defeat of the evil Sauron. As per reports, Season 1 itself cost the makers $465M, and a second season is already in the making at Amazon. Season 1 consists of eight episodes that will run until October 14.