Is the Lord of the Rings series a block on Amazon’s leg after Season 1? New data support this conclusion. The expensive $460 million project launched last fall on the company’s streaming platform. The series was guaranteed attention. The great fan enthusiasm that Amazon was hoping for did not materialize. New data insights express the disillusionment in raw, merciless numbers. Alarm bells would ring at Netflix.
What exactly does the new Lord of the Rings stat show?
The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power tells a prequel to the well-known Lord of the Rings saga. The action is set in the Second Age, before the events of The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit films. The series opens a chapter in the history of Middle-earth that has never been told before. We get to know new characters and new places. (Stream The Lord of the Rings on Amazon*)
So far known about the number of viewers According to Amazon, The Lord of the Rings was:
The new numbers from the Hollywood Reporter give a deeper insight into the statistics and deal with the quality of viewership:
Why the Lord of the Rings series wouldn’t have had a chance (actually) on Netflix
The numbers are even more alarming when we relate them to current events in the series landscape. These events are mainly influenced by Netflix, which has been the largest producer of series in the world for some time. Netflix discontinues a number of series after just one or two seasons. This happens when the projects do not achieve certain key figures, i.e. when they get bad or unsatisfactory results.
The metrics that Netflix uses to renew or cancel series are said to be:
On Netflix, more than half of the people reportedly have to finish watching a series in order to be renewed. The thinking behind it: No matter how great the interest, a series can attract (like Lord of the Rings) and millions of people, maybe even a record number. But if these people (or a large part of them) don’t watch the first season, they won’t tune in to the second season either. So why produce them at all?
The German mystery series 1899, for example, was watched by many people but had a drop-out rate of 63 percent. Netflix didn’t have a second season. This approach is often criticized because series can still grow months after they start and attract viewers. However, it undoubtedly saves costs in the short term.
Using this selection method, Netflix would probably have canceled The Lord of the Rings after Season 1. Of course, this is only a model simulation. We don’t know how Netflix would have handled a project of this size in reality. With an investment of the magnitude of the Lord of the Rings project, it would be economically negligent to cancel after Season 1. The rights alone cost Amazon $250 million.
What is quite certain, however, is that Lord of the Rings is performing below expectations. And season 1 apparently found it difficult to keep its suspense over 8 episodes. The show will have to work on that in Season 2. (The Rings of Power Season 2: Everything you need to know about Amazon’s Lord of the Rings series at a glance)
When is Lord of the Rings season 2 coming?
The cast of the second season of The Lord of the Rings is currently being expanded and new actors are being sought. Filming is already underway. A start at Amazon is expected in autumn 2024. Season 2 will again be 8 episodes long.
*. . .