One of the summer’s biggest streaming surprises is now one of its most confusing cancellations. Deadline reports that Prime Video has opted not to renew Ride or Die, the buddy spy comedy starring Octavia Spencer and Hannah Waddingham, for a second season, despite a run that by nearly every available metric looked like a hit. Paramount Television Studios, the lead studio behind the series, is now shopping it to other buyers.
The numbers make the decision hard to square. Ride or Die launched July 15 with a fraction of the marketing push Amazon put behind its young-adult “Obsession Is In Session” slate, which included Elle, Off Campus, Every Year After, and Sterling Point, all four of which have since been renewed. Yet the series still climbed to No. 1 in the daily U.S. rankings almost immediately, outpacing even the theatrical release Masters of the Universe.
Per Luminate, Ride or Die pulled in 927,000 U.S. views in its first two days, more than double Elle‘s opening (477,000) and nearly four times Off Campus‘s (245,000). It hit No. 1 in U.S. minutes watched in its first full week, again doubling and tripling those two shows respectively, a lead it held into week three. On the Nielsen Weekly Top 10, it debuted at No. 8 overall and No. 3 among originals with 869 million minutes viewed, then climbed to No. 4 overall and No. 2 among originals the following week with 922 million minutes. The show was reportedly Prime Video’s most-watched new scripted series in the U.S. over the prior twelve months, despite only being available for a fraction of that window.
The strength carried globally, too. Ride or Die held the No. 1 spot among Prime Video originals worldwide for its first three weeks, and more than two months post-premiere, it’s still landing in the platform’s weekly Global Top 10. Its completion rate is reportedly on par with already-renewed series like Mr. & Mrs. Smith, Scarpetta, and Elle. Reviews backed up the audience numbers, with the show logging a 96% critics’ score and 85% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes.
So what happened? Deadline’s reporting points to one theory: the show’s core audience skewed toward middle-aged women, a demographic that may not have been considered a priority for subscriber growth internally, given that segment already largely has Amazon Prime for shopping. Budget concerns have also been floated, though the show reportedly came in under budget, only adding to the confusion.
Ride or Die wasn’t alone in its lane this summer. It was one of two series centered on 50-something female friendships to premiere in July to strong reviews and viewership, the other being Peacock’s The Five Star Weekend, which has already been renewed. The situation also mirrors an earlier, equally puzzling cancellation at Peacock, which pulled Ponies, a No. 1 spy series starring Emilia Clarke and Haley Lu Richardson, despite a 94% critics’ score and no clear public explanation.
Created by Tessa Coates, Ride or Die follows best friends Debbie Claybourne (Spencer) and Judith Burton (Waddingham), who believe they know everything about each other until Judith is revealed to be an international assassin. When a figure from her past resurfaces and a hit goes wrong, the two are forced onto the run together across Europe, chased by law enforcement, trained assassins, and dangerous criminals. Season 1 closed on multiple cliffhangers built to set up a second installment. The cast also includes Ed Skrein, Calam Lynch, Savannah Steyn, Jamie Parker, and Jacky Ido, with Sylvia Hoeks and Bill Nighy.
The series was produced by Paramount Television Studios, where it originated at Skydance Television, alongside Amazon MGM Studios, Andy and Barbara Muschietti’s Double Dream, and Spencer’s Orit Entertainment. Coates, showrunner Matt Miller, and director Peyton Reed executive produce alongside Spencer, Waddingham, Andy Muschietti, Barbara Muschietti, Irene Yeung, Brian Clisham, and Stephanie Kluft.