Amazon says ‘The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power’ watched by more than 25 million globally

Amazon said Saturday that the first episode of its “The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power” series attracted over 25 million viewers globally in its first day, making it the biggest ever debut for a show on its Prime Video streaming service. 

The series is based on J.R.R. Tolkien’s “Lord of the Rings” books and is the most expensive television series of all time.

“It is somehow fitting that Tolkien’s stories – among the most popular of all time, and what many consider to be the true origin of the fantasy genre – have led us to this proud moment,” Amazon Studios head Jennifer Salke said in a statement. 

At the show’s U.K. premiere, Amazon founder billionaire Jeff Bezos hinted at how precious the series is to fans, saying one of his sons had told him “don’t eff this up” when he learned of Amazon’s acquisition of the story rights.

Episodes of the show will continue to debut weekly on Amazon Prime.

Earlier this month, HBO said its “House of the Dragon,” a “Game of Thrones” prequel series, was the biggest series premiere in its history.