Amazon said on Saturday that the first episode of its “Lord of the Rings: Rings of Power” series drew more than 25 million viewers worldwide in its first day of release, the first time ever.

The series witnessed the biggest launch ever for a show on the Prime Video streaming service. The series is based on the spin-off of “The Lord of the Rings” by J.R.R. Tolkien  and is the most expensive TV series of all time. “Somehow, it’s fitting that Tolkien’s stories – some of the most famous of all time and what many consider to be the true origins of the fantasy genre – have brought us to this moment,” said Jennifer Salke, Head of Amazon Studios in a statement.

At the show’s UK premiere, billionaire Amazon founder Jeff Bezos hinted at how valuable the series is to fans, saying that one of his sons told him “don’t do that” when he learned about Amazon’s acquisition of the rights to the show.

The show’s episodes will continue to premiere weekly on Amazon Prime.