Is ‘The Rings of Power’ Facing a Streaming Crisis? Shocking Viewership Decline Revealed!

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If data from Luminate Data on last year’s viewership is any indication, it might not bode well for Prime Video’s controversial Lord of the Rings spin-off series, The Rings of Power. Shockingly, The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power didn’t even make it into the top 10 most watched shows, which could signal potential difficulties ahead for the series.

Based on viewership numbers, Netflix dominated the top of the TV shows list during the specified timeframe. The Harlan Coben thriller series “Fool Me Once” and the period romantic drama “Bridgerton” took the first and second spots with 12.11 billion and 11.07 billion views, respectively. Taylor Sheridan’s latest series “Landman,” on Paramount+, came in third place with 9.9 billion views. Completing the top five were Netflix’s “The Perfect Couple” (8.83 billion) and Paramount+’s “Tulsa King” (8.47 billion). The remaining spots on the list went to various shows: “Monsters: The Lyle and Eric Menendez Story,” a Netflix series with 8.16 billion views, followed by another Netflix crime series, “The Gentlemen,” with 8.06 billion; Amazon’s video game adaptation “Fallout” with 7.95 billion; Netflix’s “Griselda” with 7.59 billion; and the Netflix reality show “Love Is Blind,” which garnered 7.38 billion views.

In a nutshell, Erik Kain from Forbes claims that viewership for “The Rings of Power” dropped an astounding 60% between its first and second seasons. Interestingly, despite launching significant Marvel shows like “Echo”, “Agatha All Along”, and the “Star Wars” series “The Acolyte”, Disney failed to make it into the top 10. This observation aligns with a report by Luminate, which suggests that some of the biggest franchises and streaming platforms are experiencing a decline in viewer interest, referred to as “diminishing returns”.

2024 marked a shift in viewer engagement on streaming platforms, with many popular franchises experiencing lower viewership compared to previous years. For instance, the two live-action Marvel TV series released in 2024, Echo and Agatha All Along, didn’t meet the expectations set by Loki Season 2 and Secret Invasion from 2023. Similarly, the second season of Amazon Prime Video’s Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power saw a significant drop in viewership, with a 60% decrease in total viewing minutes compared to its first season.

What Could This Mean for the Future of ‘The Rings of Power’?

Moving ahead, what implications might The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power have? Currently, there are no intentions to conclude the series, as Amazon Studios Head Jennifer Salke stated last year that “there’s no question about whether or not the show will carry on.” However, she did mention that viewership is crucial for the platform to keep producing it, stating that they will continue as long as global audiences remain engaged and watch it in large numbers. The recent 60% drop in ratings has undoubtedly raised concerns among many viewers.

The Amazon Prime series titled “The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power” delves into the legendary Second Age of Middle-earth’s history, happening millennia before the tales in J.R.R. Tolkien’s books “The Hobbit” and “The Lord of the Rings“. Critics have generally praised both seasons, with Seasons 1 and 2 earning 84% and 59%, respectively, on Rotten Tomatoes. However, the show has sparked debate, as evidenced by Season 1’s 38% approval rating among viewers on Popcornmeter compared to Season 2’s 59%.

Development for Season 3 of “The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power” is underway, with filming anticipated to start later this year. Until then, we can only anticipate if the show will continue thriving amidst the ruthless realm of streaming platforms.

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2025-01-29 18:01