Warner Bros. Discovery has seemingly fired off a shot at rival conglomerate Amazon in a recent ad that seems to be handing a subtle diss to the high-profile fantasy seriesThe Rings of Power. The ad release is part of the lead-up to the debut of the company’s new Max streaming service, which looks to take even more market share from Amazon Prime Video.
Debuting in 2022,The Rings of Power is one of the most ambitious projects in streaming history and is loosely based onThe Lord of the Ringsfranchise, a globally recognized icon of the fantasy genre and the most famous work of highly revered author J.R.R. Tolkien. While the series was initially well-received on its debut, the show faced stiff competition in the fantasy market, most notably from HBO’sGame of Thronesprequel seriesHouse of the Dragon,which at a certain pointreceived double the viewer interest thatThe Rings of Powerdid.
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Despite Amazon’s Jennifer Salke dismissing competition between the company and Warner Bros Discovery when discussingThe Rings of Power’s fate after newLord of the Ringsmovieswere announced, her disinterest in engaging with the rivalry now seems one-sided. As part of the ad campaign for the upcoming debut of their consolidated streaming service Max, Warner Bros. Discovery released an online ad featuring a regal Daenerys Targaryen onGame of Throne’s iconic Iron Throne. The caption included with the photo touts the new streaming platform as “The One to Watch When You Want to Rule Them All.”
While the caption is thematically appropriate and could be seen as totally unrelated toLord of the Rings' famousOne Ring To Rule Them All, it is unlikely that the team behind the ad didn’t see the potential shots they were about to fire off. For one, shows within the same genre have a penchant to be compared almost from the moment they hit their streaming platforms, so much so that charts showhowHouse of the DragonandThe Rings of Powerstack up. Even disregarding this trend, the impending showdown between the Amazon show’s subsequent seasons and the movie projects that Warner Bros. is working towards seem to make the possible dig more credible.
Despite the rise this ad has gotten out of fans, Salke’s focused attitude might be the more appropriate stance for the Amazon team, as it’s clear now that the first season has ended thatRings of Powerviewers weren’t motivated to keep watchingthroughout the season. With the incoming pressure from a second season ofHouse of the Dragonand the impending arrival of more high-budgetLord of the Ringsmedia, there’s no doubt that things will only be more challenging forRings of Powergoing forward.
The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Powerseason 1 is available on Amazon Prime Video.
