Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story has debuted atop Netflix’s English TV checklist with 148.28 million hours seen, making it the most-viewed title for the streamer this week and permitting it to succeed in the Prime 10 in 91 nations. The massive debut provides the corporate one other large hit proper earlier than its first look at upfront week on Might 17, however Netflix’s reveals don’t simply turn into the speak of “the Ton” accidentally.
Not in contrast to a royal frightened about their line of succession, Queen Charlotte had a number of expectations driving on it forward of its Might 4 Netflix debut.
The prequel miniseries is the primary spinoff from creator Shonda Rhimes’ Bridgerton franchise. And with Bridgerton Season 1 and Season 2 combining for greater than 1.2 billion hours seen on the streamer, the platform was trying to proceed that success and assist increase the universe with its newest installment.
To make sure the sequence would discover its devoted viewers, in addition to usher in new viewers, Netflix rolled out the purple carpet as quickly because it may. In line with Shelly Gillyard, vp of U.S. and Canada advertising and marketing at Netflix, marketing campaign planning started 18 months earlier than the premiere.
“We’re on set early attempting to ideate, taking pictures content material and property,” Gillyard stated, “So it begins from a really early, collective inventive perspective, and attempting to consider how we are able to launch this marketing campaign globally as a result of it’s a title that warrants that sort of world nature.”
Although Bridgerton traditionally hasn’t targeted a lot consideration on problems with race and variety, Queen Charlotte takes these questions head on, with India Amarteifio portraying how Bridgerton’s Black queen fell for King George (Corey Mylchreest) and got here to energy.
Given the storyline, Gillyard advised Adweek the streamer had the chance to inform a narrative that speaks particularly to Black ladies and numerous audiences, additionally permitting the chance to herald youthful viewers to the huge Bridgerton fanbase.
“We thought we had a possibility to even broaden the fanbase with this, so we’ve been actually excited,” Gillyard stated.
Since music performs such a pivotal function in Bridgerton, with trendy pop songs usually receiving classical reimaginings, it grew to become a crown jewel of the marketing campaign.