Part 6/11:
This disparity is staggering, especially considering the budget differences. While Rings of Power reportedly cost about a billion dollars for two seasons, its viewership numbers pale in comparison to House of the Dragon, which is drawing millions more viewers at a fraction of the cost.
Debut Metrics and Audience Retention
The debut of Rings of Power was touted by Amazon as a record-breaking event, claiming it was the biggest debut ever for a Prime Video series and ranking third among all movie and series launches on the platform. Yet, the actual viewer retention tells a different story. Of the initial 1.8 million viewers in the U.S., only 1.3 million stayed for the second episode—a loss of roughly 25% of the audience in just one week.