The figures show that by the end of 2024 Netflix had spent £509 million on the production of the series. Through the government’s high-end television tax relief scheme, the company was reimbursed nearly a quarter of that amount, reducing its net production costs to £381 million over a seven-year period.
Based on the novels by American author Julia Quinn, Bridgerton is set in Regency-era London and narrated by Julie Andrews. The drama follows the romantic lives and social rivalries of the eight Bridgerton siblings as they navigate the upper echelons of high society.
The fourth series, released last week, attracted 40 million views within its first four days, underlining the show’s continued global popularity.
Filming for the series has taken place across a range of historic UK locations, including Halton House in Buckinghamshire, a Grade II* listed manor built for a member of the Rothschild family, as well as Greenwich’s Old Royal Naval College and Hampton Court Palace. Large sections of period London and Mayfair streets were also recreated at Shepperton Studios in Surrey, where hundreds of cast and crew were based for nine months from September 2024.
Introduced in 2013, the UK’s high-end television tax relief scheme offers a 25 per cent rebate to qualifying productions that meet minimum spending thresholds and cultural criteria. The policy was designed to prevent major film and television projects from relocating to overseas competitors and to strengthen Britain’s position as a global production hub.
Supporters of the scheme argue that it delivers strong returns by attracting foreign investment, driving studio expansion and sustaining thousands of skilled jobs across the UK’s creative industries.
Recent figures from the British Film Institute appear to support that claim. UK spending on film and high-end television production reached £6.8 billion last year, a 22 per cent increase compared with the previous year.
Netflix has previously said that Bridgerton supported around 5,000 UK-based businesses and contributed more than £275 million to the British economy over a five-year period. In 2024 alone, the company spent £58 million on staff, with an average monthly crew of nearly 250 people, excluding freelancers and temporary workers.
Production costs peaked at £159 million for the third series, which Netflix said exceeded its original budget. The first series was the least expensive, costing £76 million. By the end of 2024, approximately £86 million had been spent on the fourth series, although the final figure is expected to rise significantly as filming continued until June last year.
Netflix has already renewed Bridgerton for two additional series. The company was contacted for comment.
