The second season of the series «The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power» significantly increased the share of Amazon Prime Video viewers in the streaming TV market.
Although the second season had fewer viewers than the first one, It brought success to Prime Video. The series was the third most-watched in September, competing with sports programs such as Thursday Night Football, and received 4.3 billion minutes of viewing (including the first season). So far, the second season has received 84% positive reviews from critics on Rotten Tomatoes and 60% of viewers, both of which are improved compared to the first season.
Nielsen’s report shows that Prime Video’s share of the streaming TV market grew by 12% in September compared to August, the largest monthly increase of any streaming service. The data shows that the total percentage of Prime Video views, which includes broadcast, cable and streaming, is 3.6%. This puts the service in third place in the overall ranking, after YouTube (10.6%) and Netflix (7.9%). Streaming left behind Disney+ (2.5%) and Hulu (2.4%).
However, the series has not yet been officially renewed. Jennifer Salke, head of Amazon MGM Studios hinted that the showrunners’ plan for five seasons of «Lord of the Rings» is still in place. She emphasizes that viewership must remain high for the show to continue, but the reaction to the second season means that there is «no discussion» about the inevitability of a third season. It’s clear that the series, which has made an important boost to Amazon Prime’s growth, is likely to be renewed.
The second season of «The Lord of the Rings» did not reach the performance of the first, but this comparison is not entirely correct. Its release increased the views of the first one, which were also taken into account. Also, the sequel had less marketing support, despite the hype in the press and among viewers. The cost should also be taken into account — the creation of all five seasons will cost Amazon about $1 billion. Even so, the future of the series seems promising.
Sources: Deadline, Screen Rant