Rings of Power is Doing WORSE Than The Acolyte, at FIVE TIMES the COST! | Amazon Stock

Summary

The script discusses the significant decline in viewership for Amazon Prime's 'The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power', with a 51% drop in watch time by the third week, placing it in the same league as 'The Acolyte'. Despite a higher episode runtime and substantial investment, the show failed to maintain audience interest, with only 63.2 million minutes watched in its third week. The speaker speculates on Amazon's commitment to the series, despite the poor reception and financial implications, comparing it unfavorably to other streaming shows like 'Stranger Things' and 'House of the Dragon'.

Takeaways

• 📉 The viewership of 'The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power' on Amazon Prime declined by over 51% in its third week, falling into the same territory as 'The Acolyte'.
• 📊 According to data analytics company Luminate, the show only garnered 372 million minutes watched in its third week, down from 7646 million in the second week.
• 📈 Despite releasing three episodes right off the bat with a total runtime of 204 minutes in the second week, the show did not see a significant increase in watch time.
• 🕒 The first week's watch time was exceptionally high at 7646 million minutes, but the show was only available for a single day during this period.
• 📺 The show failed to chart in the top 10 and was instead 37th on Luminate's chart in its first week, which is considered a significant underperformance.
• 💰 Amazon has invested heavily in 'The Rings of Power', spending $250 million just for the rights to use the 'Lord of the Rings' name, not including other production costs.
• 🚧 The production faced challenges, including moving the entire set to another location after the first season, indicating a substantial financial commitment from Amazon.
• 🔥 The show's decline in viewership is seen as a major financial mistake, potentially one of the worst in television history, given the high budget.
• 📺 The show's runtime in the second week should理论上 have attracted more viewership, but it did not meet expectations, suggesting a smaller audience than 'The Acolyte'.
• 🔍 The script suggests that Amazon may have anticipated a drop in viewership, as evidenced by the strategic release of additional episodes to boost initial numbers.

Q & A

What was the initial watch time for 'The Rings of Power' in its first week on Amazon Prime?

The initial watch time for 'The Rings of Power' was 7,646 million minutes in its first week.

How did the watch time for 'The Rings of Power' compare to 'The Acolyte' in terms of episode length?

The average episode length for 'The Acolyte' was around 35 to 40 minutes, whereas 'The Rings of Power' had episodes that were a full hour long.

What was the percentage decline in watch time for 'The Rings of Power' in its third week?

The watch time for 'The Rings of Power' declined by over 51% in its third week.

According to the transcript, what was the total watch time for 'The Rings of Power' in its third week?

The total watch time for 'The Rings of Power' in its third week was 372 million minutes.

What was the position of 'The Rings of Power' on Luminate's chart in its first week?

In its first week, 'The Rings of Power' was ranked 37th on Luminate's chart.

What was the runtime for the second week of 'The Rings of Power' release?

The runtime for the second week of 'The Rings of Power' was 204 minutes, as three episodes were released right off the bat.

How much did Amazon reportedly spend just to acquire the rights to use the name 'Lord of the Rings'?

Amazon reportedly spent $250 million just to acquire the rights to use the name 'Lord of the Rings'.

What was the reported watch time for the premiere of 'The Rings of Power' in comparison to the second season premiere?

The premiere of 'The Rings of Power' reportedly had 1.2 billion minutes watched, while the second season premiere had 7,647 million minutes watched.

What was the reported audience decline from the premiere to the second season of 'The Rings of Power' according to Samba?

According to Samba, the audience for the premiere of 'The Rings of Power' was 1.8 million households over the first four days, while the second season premiere had 92,000 US households over the first five days.

What is the comparison in audience retention between 'The Rings of Power' and 'Stranger Things' as mentioned in the transcript?

The transcript suggests that 'Stranger Things' has a better audience retention and is able to pull in higher viewing numbers season after season, unlike 'The Rings of Power'.

What is the significance of the runtime being 50% longer in the second week of 'The Rings of Power' release?

The significance of the 50% longer runtime in the second week of 'The Rings of Power' release is that it should理论上 have resulted in a higher watch time, but it did not, indicating a potential decline in audience interest.

Outlines

00:00

📉 Declining Viewership for 'The Rings of Power'

The first paragraph discusses the significant drop in viewership for 'The Rings of Power' on Amazon Prime. It notes that despite the release of three episodes in the second week, the show's total watch time declined by over 51% in its third week, putting it on par with 'The Acolyte' in terms of viewership. The data from Luminate shows a stark contrast to the first week's 7 million minutes watched, dropping to 372 million minutes in the third week. The paragraph also compares the runtime of 'The Rings of Power' episodes to 'The Acolyte', suggesting that the former should have garnered more viewership given its longer runtime, but it did not, indicating a possible smaller audience size. The financial investment in the show by Amazon, including the cost of rights and production, is highlighted as a potential risk given the viewership numbers.

05:00

🚀 Amazon's Bold Commitment Despite Low Viewership

The second paragraph continues the discussion on 'The Rings of Power', emphasizing Amazon's commitment to continue the show despite the low viewership numbers. It mentions that Amazon is planning to produce up to five seasons, which is seen as a significant financial risk given the current viewership trends. The paragraph contrasts 'The Rings of Power' with 'Stranger Things', noting that the latter has a lower budget but higher viewership. It also points out that the show's initial high viewership did not translate into sustained interest, with many viewers not finishing the first season. The comparison with 'House of the Dragon' on HBO Max is made, highlighting the different release strategies and their impact on viewership. The paragraph concludes by suggesting that Amazon's decision to continue with the show is a costly mistake.

10:03

📊 A Sharp Decline in Viewer Engagement

The third paragraph focuses on the sharp decline in viewer engagement for 'The Rings of Power', using data from Samba to illustrate the point. It notes that only 92,000 US households tuned in for the premiere over the first five days, which is a significant drop from the 1.8 million that tuned in during the first four days of the series premiere two years prior. The paragraph also touches on the show's inability to maintain audience interest, with a high percentage of viewers not finishing the first season. It ends by sarcastically congratulating Amazon for having more viewers than the 'The Acolyte' petition on change.org, highlighting the show's struggle to meet expectations despite its high production values and budget.

Keywords

💡Prime Video

Prime Video is Amazon's premium streaming service offering a wide variety of TV shows, movies, and original content. In the context of the video, Prime Video is the platform that released 'The Rings of Power', a series that has seen a significant decline in viewership according to the script. The service's strategy of releasing multiple episodes at once is mentioned, which is a common tactic to attract and retain viewers.

💡Amazon Studios

Amazon Studios is the television and film production arm of Amazon that develops and produces content for Amazon Prime Video. The script discusses how Amazon Studios released three episodes of 'The Rings of Power' at once, which is a strategy to boost initial viewership numbers and create buzz around the show.

💡The Rings of Power

'The Rings of Power' refers to the television series based on J.R.R. Tolkien's 'The Lord of the Rings', produced by Amazon Studios. The video script indicates that this series has experienced a notable drop in viewership, with a 51% decline in watch time in its third week, which is a significant point of discussion.

💡Viewership Data

Viewership data refers to the statistical information regarding the number of people watching a particular show or program. The video script cites viewership data from Luminate, indicating a significant decline in the total watch time for 'The Rings of Power', which is a key point of concern in the discussion.

💡Luminate

Luminate is a data analytics company that provides insights into viewership trends. In the script, Luminate's reports are used to highlight the drop in viewership for 'The Rings of Power', showcasing the company's role in tracking and analyzing television viewership.

💡Runtime

Runtime in the context of the video refers to the total duration of the content released within a specific time frame. The script discusses how the runtime of 'The Rings of Power' episodes affects the total watch time, with longer episodes expected to contribute more to the overall viewership numbers.

💡Streaming Originals

Streaming Originals are TV shows or movies that are produced and released exclusively on streaming platforms. The video script mentions 'The Rings of Power' as a streaming original on Amazon Prime, emphasizing the high expectations and significant investment associated with such exclusive content.

💡Financial Mistake

A financial mistake in this context refers to a costly investment that does not yield the expected return. The video script suggests that Amazon's investment in 'The Rings of Power' might be considered a financial mistake due to the show's declining viewership and the high production costs.

💡Zeitgeist

Zeitgeist refers to the intellectual and cultural trends or climate of an era. The script uses the term to express that 'The Rings of Power' has not captured the cultural zeitgeist, meaning it has not resonated with the audience or become a significant cultural phenomenon as expected.

💡Petition

A petition is a formal request, often a public appeal, to take some form of action. The video script humorously notes that Amazon has received more support, in the form of a petition, for 'The Rings of Power' than for 'The Acolyte', indicating the show's polarizing reception among fans.

Highlights

The second week of 'The Rings of Power' should have seen a significant increase in watch time due to the release of three episodes.

The average episode length of 'The Acolyte' is 35 to 40 minutes, compared to the full hour of 'The Rings of Power'.

Viewership data shows a 51% decline in total watch time for 'The Rings of Power' in its third week.

According to Luminate, 'The Rings of Power' only garnered 372 million minutes watched in its third week.

The show was only available for a single day in its first week, garnering 63.2 million minutes watched.

'The Rings of Power' failed to chart in the top 10, instead ranking 37th in its first week.

The show's total runtime in the second week was 204 minutes, significantly more than the average 'The Acolyte' episode.

Despite the longer runtime, 'The Rings of Power' did not achieve the expected viewership numbers.

Amazon has committed to producing multiple seasons of 'The Rings of Power' despite the viewership decline.

The cost of 'The Rings of Power' is considered a significant financial risk for Amazon.

Viewer retention was a problem for 'The Rings of Power', with many not finishing the first season.

The show's viewership decline is compared to the success of 'Stranger Things', which costs significantly less.

Amazon's strategy of releasing multiple episodes at once did not yield the desired viewership increase.

HBO Max's 'House of the Dragon' maintained a consistent weekly release schedule, unlike 'The Rings of Power'.

Amazon's capital allows them to continue investing in 'The Rings of Power' despite the decline.

The number of US households tuning in for 'The Rings of Power' premiere has significantly decreased from the previous season.

Despite the decline, 'The Rings of Power' managed to garner more support on change.org than 'The Acolyte'.

Transcripts

the second week should have gotten

significantly more watch time because

Prime video and Amazon Studios released

three episodes right off the bat if this

is plugging the same kind of numbers as

the acolyte you got to remember those

average acolyte episodes were like 35 to

40 minutes this was a full hour

on the rings of power on Amazon Prime

speaking of streaming failures this is

one for sure viewership data is now

showing uh that Lord of the Rings the

rings of power total watch time declined

by over 51% in its third week it's

already in accolite territory which is

just incredible this is from that

parkplace.com uh new viewership data

from Luminate reveals that Lord of the

Rings the rings of Po total watch time

for its third week declined by over 51%

data analytics company Luminate reports

that Lord of the Rings rings of power

only garnered

372.00 less than the show's second week

where it garnered

7646 7 million minutes watched in its

first week the show only garnered 63.2

million minutes watched although it was

only available to watch for a single day

a variety reported that the show failed

to chart in the top 10 but instead was

37th on luminates chart in its first

week which is stunning I'm really

interesting to really interested to see

if the neelon numbers in in several

weeks will will confirm this data I mean

we we've seen them confirm Luminate data

in the past um but it's absolutely

terrifying to think how far this thing

has fallen off and this would be right

here on the streaming Originals chart um

I mean this is this is where it has to

wind up it's in the fourth position

372 uh uh million minutes watch now as

far as the runtime they get to this next

and this is what's

important the second week should have

gotten significantly more watch time

because Prime video and Amazon Studios

released three episodes right off the

bat had a total runtime of 204 minutes

the fourth episode uh that came out in

this week had a run time of 65 minutes

the fifth episode 61 minutes now I want

to give you an idea uh just right there

how bad this is if this is

plugging uh the same kind of numbers as

the acolyte which it is very similar

around you know 3 to 4 350 to 400

million minutes watched you got to

remember those average acolyte episodes

were like 35 to 40 minutes this was a

full hour this is significantly longer

this is you know 50% is longer uh than

than the acolyte meaning that if the

acolyte pulled in 370 million minutes if

you had the same set of eyeballs on a

full 1H Hour episode like this you

should at least be looking at 500

million minutes but it's not is it

possible is it truly possible we have

reached a point and it seems

feasible that the rings of

power has a worse

audience than the acolyte actually has a

smaller audience than the accolite if

you start adjusting for runtime it's

scary it really is now Amazon has talked

about how they're going to keep plotting

ahead with this show uh that apparently

a lot of people don't like or most

people just flat out do not care they're

not even watching it but when you when

you look at it from that perspective you

really have to scratch your head and

wonder uh you know is Amazon that

desperate do they really have that much

money sunk in the ground on this thing

that they can't back out that they

absolutely abely can't back out and it's

it's it's incredible to me remember $250

million just to buy the rights to use

the name Lord of the Rings and a couple

of footnotes from AAR napkin or whatever

the case was that tolken scribbled on

one time 100 years

ago um not to mention all the money that

they sunk into costumes to sets to props

uh everything that they've built and and

now you know they they built the set in

one location for the first season seon

then they moved the entire production to

another location did all this stuff

again they're still going to proceed

with a third season they're still

talking about trying to get out five

seasons of this

show I I think this is one of the worst

mistakes that Amazon has ever made this

is this is probably the worst Financial

mistake ever in the history of

Television this show especially with the

kind of money they're

spending this should be pulling some of

the highest television viewing numbers

that exists week to week uh in terms of

eyeballs and it just doesn't seem like

that uh when you look back at season 1

and you were seeing like billion minutes

in all this kind of stuff on a week- toe

basis in many cases for Lord of the

Rings it had a it had a big TuneIn

Factor early on uh but most people

didn't stick around to watch to the end

of the show because it wasn't that good

uh and and people either tuned in out of

curiosity they tuned in because they

were Lord of the Rings fans many of whom

then got disappointed roughly half of

them or two-thirds of them I can't

remember what it was most people that

started the show didn't finish the first

season because it just lost them um but

I mean this is the kind of show that

should be pulling in you know season

after season stranger things kind of

numbers right in stranger things cost

significantly less than this show uh and

which which is even crazier uh this show

is just not getting into the Zeitgeist

whatsoever at least again in nowhere

near the numbers that they require to

justify this kind of radical budget and

that's that's the bottom line for it um

it's yeah 63% never finished I see some

people mentioning in the chat um it's

just it's unfathomable that this is how

this went down and it's continuing to go

down in this fashion um

the fact that the second week uh hit

only a peak of

7647 million has to be disastrous for

Prime video given that neelon reported

back in 2022 the first week of the shows

two episode premiere raak in 1.2 billion

minutes the first two episodes only had

a runtime of 132 minutes so again the

premiere of season 2 204 minutes right

again almost 50% more runtime available

in that first seven to eight days based

on when they released it and when

Luminate does captures uh which they

start on a Thursday or Friday I can't

remember I think it's a Friday um so

they would have they would have captured

a little bit of of that first weekend

but point is is that even with more

available

runtime um it's not getting the traction

they hoped and I think Amazon knew this

going in and I think that's why they

added the third episode um they added

the third episode to pad the available

runtime for the premiere to run up the

numbers in places like Luminate and

neelon because they they must have

clearly had some kind of indication that

this was not going to go their way look

at look at HBO Max right now look at

what they did with House of the Dragon

right one episode per week that's it

they didn't change for season 2 right as

far as I remember we got one episode

each and every week they they did that

consistently it was appointment viewing

and and mostly because first of all

obviously it's premiering still

primarily on a broadcast network or a

linear delivered Network which is HBO

over

cable it's not a streaming show it's not

an HBO Max show it's an HBO show so

that's part of it uh but they didn't

change the dynamic they went with one

episode per week because they knew okay

we're not going to have as many people

tune in for the first episode of season

two is season 1 but uh it wasn't this I

think they they it was something like 19

or 20% lower uh than the than the

premiere of season 1 but that audience

built in season two week over week they

kept up pretty well they got through to

the end I know people were a little bit

more disappointed in the end they wanted

a little bit more before the season

break but they were overall pretty

satisfied and again that show probably

cost half of what they're spending for

rings of power so this this is just bad

news for Amazon all the way around but

understand that Amazon unlike a lot of

these other places like HBO Max Amazon

unlike uh uh Disney plus they've got

Capital to burn not that they want to

but they've got extra Capital to burn to

close this out with um with uh rings of

power here a couple of things I wanted

to bring up and I I posted this on

Twitter uh when when this came out uh

last week

92,000 us households according to Samba

tuned in for the

premiere over the first five days two

years ago and I brought up samba's own

tweet from two years ago it was double

that it was 1.8 million tuned in

to the to the series premiere of rings

of power over the first four days so I

mean it's this is a sharp sharp decline

everybody is measuring and here it is uh

1.8 million over the first four days

this is a disastrous decline season over

season i' like I would like to

congratulate them Valiant you're you're

a uh glass half empty kind of guy when

it comes to the poor rings of power

folks over to Amazon I am utterly

stunned that they managed to get more

eyes on this than the acolyte petition

to renew season 2 so go for go for the

gold there Amazon you've done it you

beat acolyte petitions on change.org you

did well they they beat acolyte

petitions but like we talked about

before it's they may actually have a

smaller audience than the acolyte that's

well that's true but you know what glass

glass half full I'm here to help you

Amazon I'm here to find the win it's not

easy but uh there you go that's the best

I've got for you you beat change.org

make sure you're subscribed to Valiant

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