The Bridgerton phenomenon has taken the UK economy by storm: The Netflix limited series has grossed £275 million (just under $350 million) and supported nearly 5,000 businesses in the past five years.
The series and its Regency-era aesthetic have provided a boost of more than £5 million to the local economy in Bath, Bristol and the surrounding areas in the area where much of the show was filmed due to increased footfall, according to Visit West.
Kiddies Kingdom, an online baby and nursery equipment store, also reported a 51% increase in babies named Daphne, a 27% increase in babies named Eloise and a 26% increase in babies named Colin de 2020 to 2021.
Additionally, local music group Vitamin String Quartet said bi-weekly streams of its songs increased 350% after the first season of “Bridgerton” premiered in 2020.
The figure revealed by the streaming giant in a Blog post on FridayThis comes as series creator Shonda Rhimes opened the London Stock Exchange to trade alongside the release of Bridgerton Season 3, Part 2.
“The world of Bridgerton is yet another example of Shonda Rhimes’ storytelling brilliance and global impact,” said Anna Mallet, Netflix’s vice president of production for Europe, the Middle East and Africa, in a statement. “We are incredibly excited to have played a role in bringing these stories to the world.”
“It is clear that arts and culture can make a huge economic contribution to local communities,” Reams added. “I couldn’t be more proud.”
According to the British Film InstituteCombined spend on high-end film and TV (HETV) production in 2023 was £4.23bn, down 32% on 2022 due to the global impact of the Hollywood strikes, but roughly on par with pre-pandemic levels. High-end TV contributed £2.87bn, or 68% of the total, while feature films contributed the remaining £1.36bn, or 32% of total spend.
In April 2023, Netflix revealed that it would be It has invested nearly $6 billion in the UK alone since 2020.
“Our film and creative industries bring huge benefits to the UK economy, creating jobs, driving innovation and building communities,” said Julia Huggett, chief executive of the London Stock Exchange. “We are delighted to celebrate the significant economic and cultural impact of their work.”
“Bridgerton” Season 3, Part 2 is now available to stream on Netflix..
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