Netflix’s Bridgerton Universe Offers A Masterclass in Franchise Efficiency

One of many reasons why Hollywood loves successful franchises is because such successful tentpole properties offer a level of content investment efficiency that is difficult to come by, especially in a creative industry ruled by risk. Beloved franchise material tends to offer a guaranteed audience floor, as well as ping-ponging viewership between entries. 

One of the best contemporary examples is Netflix’s Bridgerton, which now encompasses three seasons, a spin-off season in Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story, and many other revenue-generating and attention-grabbing initiatives. The consumption affinity, or the grouping of titles that audiences watch together, between the two separate shows is the secret sauce in Bridgerton’s winning recipe. 

From January 1 to May 1, Bridgerton and Queen Charlotte have enjoyed the highest affinity to one another out of any other series, according to Parrot Analytics. To reiterate, this means that viewers who are watching Bridgerton are also watching Queen Charlotte at the highest rate, and vice versa, out of any show. In fact, if we look back to May 2023 when Queen Charlotte first premiered, the two shows have ranked within the top 10 in consumption affinity for one another in all but five weeks. That’s a significant viewership funnel between the two that keeps a viewer in Netflix’s ecosystem for longer, which is music to an advertiser’s ears. 

In practicality, this means that when Queen Charlotte arrived, audiences often were driven back to the original series after completing the spin-off. When Season 3 of Bridgerton recently debuted, viewers spent the weeks leading into the premiere catching up on old seasons. Within a franchise, this is known as a halo effect. It reflects a remarkably efficient content spend that spreads out to several seasons and titles, usually for the cost of just an additional seasonal entry. 

Global demand for Bridgerton rose 80% in the first month of Queen Charlotte’s availability compared to the prior month, further highlighting this dynamic. This is also supported by Netflix’s own global hours viewed metrics. The previous two seasons of Bridgerton generated more than 91 million additional hours in Queen Charlotte’s first few weeks of availability.

With Bridgerton designed to run eight seasons and further spin-off potential for beloved old and new characters remaining high, producer Shonda Rhimes has delivered Netflix a multifaceted hit that provides a long-tail of engagement value.