Netflix hit 'The Queen's Gambit' grabs record viewing figures

Netflix' most recent hit show, chess drama The Queen's Gambit, has recorded record viewing figures, according to the streaming platform.

It says that 62 million households have tuned in to the miniseries, which stars Anya Taylor-Joy as orphaned chess prodigy Beth Harmon.

In a tweet from the broadcaster, it said that it hit the 62 million mark over its first 28 days on release, making it its most-watched scripted limited series ever.

It also made the top 10 most-watched shows in 92 countries, and the number one streamed show in 63 countries, including the UK.

However, it's worth noting that currently Netflix figures aren't independently verified, and a ‘view’ is counted if an account watches anything over two minutes of content.

Watch: The Queen’s Gambit trailer

Whatever the case, it's been a word-of-mouth and critical hit, with the series boasting a 100% fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes.

In a blog post, Peter Friedlander, the vice president of original series at Netflix, said: “Three years ago when Scott Frank (Godless) first approached us about adapting The Queen’s Gambit – Walter Tevis’s 1983 book about a young chess prodigy – we felt it was a compelling tale.

“However, I don’t think any of us could have predicted that The Queen’s Gambit - and the extraordinary Anya Taylor-Joy - would become the global phenomena they are today, or our biggest limited scripted series ever.”

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Alongside Taylor-Joy on the impressive cast is Harry Potter star Harry Melling, Games of Thrones' Thomas Brodie-Sangster, and storied US character actor Bill Camp, as Mr. Shaibel, who schools orphaned Beth in chess.

The success of the show has seen sales of chess sets and boards sky-rocket, while Netflix has said that Google searches for ‘how to play chess’ have also seen a significant upsurge.

eBay has also seen a 273% increase in searches for chess sets in the 10 days following the series’ release, according to Metro.

Watch: Anya Taylor-Joy on the perception of women in The Queen’s Gambit