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However, these tactics did not fool the audience. The viewers and fans of Tolkien’s universe quickly saw through the corporate manipulation. The “26 million viewers in the first 24 hours” claim, which Amazon proudly announced, was based on sampling rather than concrete viewer metrics. The media and fans looked skeptically at these numbers, exposing their suspicious nature and casting doubt on Amazon’s inflated claims.
Discrepancies in Viewership and Critical Reception
Following the initial hype, it became clear that the numbers didn't add up. When the dust settled, The Rings of Power’s premiere drew significantly fewer viewers than some other major fantasy series, notably HBO’s House of the Dragon.