HBO Max and Amazon Prime Video have been in a heated competition, and now a new Game of Thrones ad has taken a jab at Amazon’s series The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power. Both streaming services had huge fantasy hits with Game of Thrones and The Rings of Power, respectively, and they ran at the same time from September to October 2022. This overlap sparked intense competition between the two, with both series being hugely successful in their own right.
Now, as HBO Max and Discovery+ have merged, the Max streaming service has released a series of new ads to announce its rebranding. One of these ads features a Game of Thrones character, Daenerys Targaryen, with the caption “The One to Watch When You Want to Rule Them All,” a reference to the One Ring from The Lord of the Rings franchise, poking fun at Prime Video’s rival series. But this won’t be the end of the competition between these two franchises. Amazon has already committed to five seasons of The Rings of Power, and House of the Dragon, the Game of Thrones prequel, has been renewed for season 2 with an eye on a four-season run.
While the release dates for the upcoming seasons have not been announced, there is a possibility of overlap again. HBO is also expanding its content with a new Game of Thrones spinoff titled A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms: The Hedge Knight, which could fill the gap and allow there to consistently be a Game of Thrones series airing alongside The Rings of Power. Moreover, The Rings of Power recently cast Ciarán Hinds, who previously played Mance Rayder in Game of Thrones, in an undisclosed role, indicating that this rivalry is not entirely one-sided.
However, it seems that HBO Max might have the upper hand. Aside from continuing to develop material in the Game of Thrones universe, their parent company, Warner Bros., recently announced their intention to make new films adapted from the Lord of the Rings novels. With both franchises on their streaming service, it will be much more challenging for Prime Video to compete. This competition between the two streaming services is not just limited to these two franchises.
HBO Max recently gave an eight-episode straight-to-series order for an adaptation of Cruel Intentions, which will likely be released through their free streaming service Freevee, although it could also end up on Prime Video. The new adaptation will be unconnected to the original 1999 teen film and follow two step-siblings as they do whatever it takes to stay on top at an elite Washington D.C. college. HBO Max also recently acquired streaming rights for the DC animated series Batman: Caped Crusader, which was originally in development at HBO Max.
It’s clear that both HBO Max and Prime Video are trying to attract as many viewers as possible with their respective franchises and new content. With new adaptations and spinoffs in the works, there’s no telling where this competition will go next. Fans of both Game of Thrones and The Lord of the Rings will undoubtedly continue to watch closely and eagerly anticipate the next developments in these epic franchises.
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