Bridgerton flattens Prime Video & Paramount Plus in streaming rankings

Bridgerton fans can rejoice, as the Netflix series has outpaced a few major streaming hits this year after the release of Colin and Penelope’s love story in Season 3.

Before May, all anyone could talk about was the anticipation of finally seeing Colin and Penelope’s friends-to-lovers trope flourish. Bridgerton Season 3 was long-awaited by fans, as the two characters were a big part of both prior seasons.

The anticipation paid off, as Variety reported Season 3 and the two prior seasons took the top spots on Luminate’s weekly streaming ratings chart. From May 17-23, Bridgerton Season 3 gained 2.3 billion minutes watched, with Season 2 getting 434 million, and Season 1 amassing 498.6 million.

The numbers are impressive in the span of a week, and it also outranked some of the year’s top hits. With all three Bridgerton seasons at the top of the list, the series overtook both Prime Video’s Fallout and Netlfix’s Baby Reindeer.

Fallout gained traction as a video-game-based show that received 213.7 million minutes watched, while Baby Reindeer has grown beyond just a simple Netflix series with 211.7 million minutes watched.

These two titles were slightly outnumbered by Evil from Paramount Plus, which gained 225.1 million minutes watched. It’s likely due to Evil becoming available to stream on Netflix, generating a ratings boost as a result.

While it’s no surprise that Bridgerton Season 3 has gained popularity in streaming numbers, why the prior seasons?

Fans on X/Twitter think they know exactly why, with one commenting, “That’s because new viewers want to know Polin’s backstory.”

“I didn’t watch Season 2 when it premiered, so had to watch it to enjoy Season 3,” explained another.

Due to Bridgerton Season 3 centering on Colin and Penelope finally taking the step into becoming romantic leads, many newcomers had to go back and watch the first two installments.

A big part of Penelope’s storyline in both seasons was her crush on Colin, as well as her secret as Lady Whistledown, with the pair’s relationship taking a big turn in the Season 2 finale.

Birdgerton Season 3 Part 1 is available to stream on Netflix, with Part 2 releasing on June 13, 2024. You can catch up on whether Francesca Bridgerton is asexual, why fans didn’t like the Mondrichs, and new TV series coming to streaming this month.