The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power fans can breathe a sigh of relief, it seems: Prime Video is reportedly still committed to its five-season plan for the series.
That news comes via a new report in THR, which details some of the “headaches” facing both Rings of Power and House of the Dragon currently. Those headaches include reports about a dip in viewership for The Rings of Power, but THR’s new article says that after seeing the Season 2 numbers, Prime Video “remains committed to the show’s original five-season plan.” The show hasn’t been officially renewed yet, although Prime Video announced in February that writing had begun on Season 3.
Last week, Deadline reported that about 902,000 U.S. households tuned into the Season 2 premiere of The Rings of Power in its first four days, representing about a 50% drop in viewership for the same period of time for the Season 1 premiere. And on Tuesday, Prime Video announced that 40 million viewers have watched The Rings of Power Season 2 in its first 11 days of availability. Season 1 drew a whopping 25 million in its first 24 hours alone when it debuted in 2022, according to Prime Video’s numbers.
As THR’s report notes, there are some logical reasons for The Rings of Power’s apparent dip in viewership. Season 1 did indeed draw massive numbers, and THR reports that not even Fallout or The Boys have surpassed The Rings of Power Season 1’s viewership globally (although Fallout eventually did for the U.S.)
Still, there was plenty of hand-wringing over the Season 2 numbers, especially when taking into account The Rings of Power’s massive reported budget. But it looks like Prime Video isn’t giving up on its fantasy epic anytime soon.
IGN gave The Rings of Power Season 2 a 6/10 in our review, with Samantha Nelson writing that it “offers some dramatic action and deep pathos, but is dragged down by extraneous plots and characters.”
Alex Stedman is a Senior News Editor with IGN, overseeing entertainment reporting. When she's not writing or editing, you can find her reading fantasy novels or playing Dungeons & Dragons.
