LOTR: Rings Of Power Release Schedule Announced, Debuts With Two Episodes

Amazon Studios has confirmed the release schedule for its upcoming big-budget The Lord of the Rings TV series. The Rings of Power will debut with two episodes that air on Thursday, September 1, and after that, new episodes will air every Friday at midnight Eastern.

Episodes 1 and 2 will air at 6 PM PT / 9 PM ET on September 1, which works out to 2 AM in the UK and 11 AM in Sydney, Australia on September 2. After that, episodes will air weekly on Fridays at 9 PM PT / 12 AM ET via Prime Video. "The episodes will launch at the same time around the world, so that all fans can experience them simultaneously," Amazon said.

As Variety reminds us, if Amazon opted to only release one episode for its debut, both The Rings of Power and HBO's House of the Dragon would have had their Season 1 finales the same week (October 21 for Rings of Power and October 23 for House of the Dragon). However, in offering two episodes of The Rings of Power to kick things off, Amazon's show wraps up Season 1 on October 14.

In related news, author George R.R. Martin has commented on the so-called "rivalry" between House of the Dragon and The Rings of Power, saying he hopes both shows succeed.