‘Bridgerton’ Breaks Netflix Records as Streamer’s Biggest Series Yet With 82M Views

Netflix’s hit Regency-era romance drama Bridgerton has officially been crowned its biggest series ever. On Wednesday, the streamer dropped the latest gossip for Lady Whisteldown to write about when revealing Bridgerton was watched by 82 million households within the first 28 days of its debut, a number that exceeded the streamer’s initial projections by 19 million. That 82 million viewership number makes Bridgerton Netflix’s biggest series ever, beating out the previous record-holder The Witcher, which was viewed by 76 million households within its first 28 days on the platform.

Announcing the series’ success, the company said the show has “made the top 10” in each of its markets except for Japan, and has hit number one status in 83 countries, including the United States, United Kingdom, Brazil, France, India and South Africa, according to CNN. Jinny Howe, vice-president of original series at Netflix, in a statement likened Bridgerton to the streamer’s other recent success, The Queen’s Gambit, which enjoyed 62 million viewers in its first month, in that it “defies tradition, and demonstrates that period dramas are not limited in scope or audience.” Howe said the series is “designed to be more lavish, sexier and funnier than the standard period drama — and that’s what so surprised and delighted our members.”

Created by Chris Van Dusen and produced by Shonda Rhimes, Bridgerton debuted on the streamer in December 2020 and immediately became a major success, generating plenty of chatter among Netflix subscribers. Its popularity was immediately evident, and just a week after its Christmas Day debut, Netflix projected the series would be reaching massive numbers. The streamer projected that within 28 days of its debut, Bridgerton would reach 63 million households, a number that would have made it the fifth-largest Netflix original series launch of all time and a number that it has far exceeded. Series star Regé-Jean Page celebrated the massive numbers by showcasing some of the series’ fanfare.

Netflix is hoping to capitalize on the series’ success. Just weeks after its debut, the streaming giant picked the series up for a second season. Season 2 will focus on focus on the oldest Bridgerton brother, Lord Viscount Anthony Bridgerton. When sharing news of the renewal, Van Dursen explained that when Season 1 ended, Anthony was left “at a bit of a crossroads,” and so he is “looking forward to jumping in and discovering how he fares on the marriage market.”

Bridgerton Season 1 is available for streaming on Netflix. Season 2 does not yet have a premiere date. Stay tuned to PopCulture.com for the latest updates on Netflix’s newly crowned biggest series!