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Such poor retention suggested that the majority of viewers lost interest quickly, marking Rings of Power as a catastrophic failure within the streaming industry. Not only that, but the series did not match the linear broadcast numbers of comparable shows like House of the Dragon, which, despite being on HBO, drew significantly higher engagement.
Silence and Strategic Retreats
Following the disappointing ratings, Amazon and the show's cast and crew adopted a conspicuous silence concerning the show's success. No celebratory interviews, no promotional buzz—only silence. This dearth of publicity was telling; insiders and fans speculated that Amazon knew internal metrics were grim, and thus, they preemptively avoided further scrutiny in hopes that no one would notice.