Amazon Studios Head Anticipates "Huge Turnout" of Viewers for Rings of Power Season 1's Final Episodes

Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power was a massive financial gamble for Amazon, but so far it seems that the viewership returns for Prime Video has been worth it. The Rings of Power has been meticulously tracked by analysts and fans alike, while by being conspicuously held up against a timely fantasy genre competitor in HBO's House of the Dragon. Despite that, The Rings of Power has successfully brought in a big audience – one that Amazon Studios Head Jennifer Salke says will only swell with the release of the final two episodes in Season 1.

According to Salke's measurements, The Rings of Power viewership is "cresting toward 100 million customers," which would indeed qualify it as being a global hit. While she admits that there is still data to sift through regarding the full viewership demographics, the overall viewership number is one she expects is about to shoot up! 

"We're cresting toward 100 million customers having watched it so ... It's a big number," Salke tells Variety. "We can't wait to get more info on how the audience all breaks down. We really anticipate, with these last three episodes, a huge turnout, because it's all coming together and curiosity is at a fever pitch. And these last few episodes are the strongest in the season, because they're not just about the setup. They're excellent."

Right now it seems as though Jennifer Salke and Amazon have every reason to be confident about where things are headed with The Rings of Power. Episode 6 of the series has just aired (at the time of writing this) and marked something of a milestone point in Season 1 – both literally and figuratively. The episode revealed the origin Mount Doom, in what will become Mordor, while in the midst of the series' biggest and most furious battle sequence yet. Episode 6 also got the biggest social media reaction yet from fans, as many marked "Udûn" as the point at which they are now fully invested in the series and its vision of Middle-earth. 

Now, as Salke says, there is prime reason (pun) for viewers to catch up, get onboard, and generally be invested in The Rings of Power Episodes 7 and 8 (the finale), which will presumably bring all of the central characters together, and possibly (finally!) reveal where the threat of Sauron has been hiding... 

Are you watching The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power? New Episodes stream Fridays on Prime Video.