Bridgerton Season 3 Part 1 has indeed broken its own streaming record shortly after its release. The first part of the third season debuted on May 16, 2024, and achieved impressive viewership numbers, accumulating 165.2 million hours viewed and 45.1 million individual views globally from May 16-19, according to Netflix. This sets a new record for the series' biggest opening weekend, surpassing the previous record set by Season 2.

 

Netflix's Surge in Numbers

For comparison, Bridgerton Season 2, which premiered in March 2022, garnered over 193 million viewing hours worldwide during its opening weekend. However, Season 2 consisted of eight episodes with a total runtime of 510 minutes, while the first part of Season 3 comprises only four episodes totaling 220 minutes. This shorter runtime makes the latest season's viewership achievement particularly notable. In terms of individual views, Season 2 had approximately 22.7 million views during its opening weekend.

 

The Numbers Game

Several factors have contributed to Season 3's record-breaking success. Netflix's global subscriber base has increased by about 50 million since the release of Season 2, expanding the potential audience. Additionally, the extended four-day opening weekend for Season 3, compared to the three days for Season 2, also played a role, although the impact of the extra day was relatively minor.