13 Priciest TV Shows Ever: ‘The Rings of Power,’ ‘Loki,’ ‘The Crown’ & More

What happens when the latest Golden Age of Television meets the Second Age of Tolkien history? For starters, Amazon opens its wallet wide to make Prime Video’s The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power the most expensive series in TV history.

Researchers at VPN Overview, a resource for cybersecurity and online privacy, analyzed two decades’ worth of TV shows to find the priciest series per episode — and Prime’s acclaimed LOTR series wins by a long shot.

“It is really interesting to see the great difference between the outstanding budget made available for the production of The Rings of Power and the others, as between first and second alone in this list there is a difference of $35,000,000,” a VPN Overview spokesperson said, commenting on the findings.

“This might depend on the expectations both producers and the public have for the show, as it has a legacy to uphold, since the Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit trilogies are among the most loved in the world. It also shows that as the battle for subscribers continues between the major streaming platforms, Amazon is happy to spend big money to compete with its rivals.”

While Amazon lays claim to the top spot, Disney+, HBO, and Netflix monopolize the rest of the list. In particular, five Disney+ shows are tied for second place, with Disney paying big money to bring Marvel and Star Wars shows to the small screen. Scroll down to see the ranking, including the two five-way ties.

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