With the second season ofRings of Powerkicking off, fans of the show can expect another round of rhetoric around Prime Video’s handling of the source material, fan expectations, and detractors' complaints; people who never watched it but decided to remain opposed to it. The surrounding conversations from all sides have been rather tiresome for those who just want to enjoy the show, but how is it actually performing, anddoes any of the conversation around the audience reaction toRings of Powereven matter to Amazon?
The Rings of Power
Uncertainty Around Rings of Power’s Performance
All the talk of how successfulRings of PowerSeason 1 actually was for the platform is a bit of a guessing game.Streaming has the advantage of often controlling the narrative around their original programs; we weretoldThe Acolyteis a success. Amazon chooses what streaming information to give. ForRings of Power, we were told that25 million tuned in for the premiereand that the season finale garnered 1.137 billion minutes viewed. You see the difference in delivering information? One Reddit user deducted that the minute stats boil down to about 13.9 million people, less than started.
The Rings of Power Season 2’s Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score is Not All Bad News
The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power has debuted its first three Season 2 episodes, and audiences have been much more positive in their reviews.
Downturn in any show is natural, but according toForbes,only 37% of people made it past the second episode. The article also called the show a massive flop. Why does the discourse from cast, crew, and Amazon remain positive? How is the second season going to fare with a budget estimated to be higher than the $465 million for Season 1 (viaYahoo Finance)? Reviews are ‘mostly’ positive, but there is enough negativity out there in the crowded space of streaming that it is hard to say how much of an effect that discourse has. In reality,there is a chance Amazon does not care whether the show succeeds.
Even if Rings of Power Is Failing, It Is Still a Win for Amazon
Luca Socci outlines financial revelations about Amazon andThe Rings of Powerin his article forSeeking Alpha. The article issomewhat speculative, given Amazon’s protection of its informationas well as its overall operations. However, it makesclear that Amazon can weigh the success of the series with new Prime subscriptions and a boost to J.R.R Tolkien book sales. Both these points were touted in an interview withDeadlinewith Amazon’s Head of Global TV, Vernon Sanders. Is this just putting a good spin on a failed project? Maybe, but it also makes sense that this is a better measure of ‘success’ versus any critical or fan reactions.
EnjoyRings of Power, or don’t, because it may still be a good investment, and Amazon is already benefiting through the financial model that has made them the giant they are today.Rings of Poweris now streaming onPrime Video.
