THE NETFLIX EFFECT | THE QUEEN’S GAMBIT

THE NETFLIX EFFECT | THE QUEEN’S GAMBIT

Chess is cool again, thanks to the hit Netflix show The Queen’s Gambit. Based on the 1983 novel of the same name by Walter Tevis, The Queen’s Gambit tells the story of Beth Harmon, an orphan chess prodigy from Kentucky, as she rises through the male-dominated global chess ranks. According to Nielsen, it was the most watched streaming show in the world the week after it debuted

Sales for the ancient board game are up 125% since the miniseries debuted Oct. 23, according to the market research company NPD. One toy company, Goliath Games, told NPR that sales of its chess sets have increased more than 1,000% compared to the same period last year. Downloads for Chess.com’s iPhone app have jumped from obscurity to the top of the charts.

Not that we need any more evidence that films have incredible power to influence us, but the Netflix effect for he Queen’s Gambit reinforces why diverse and intersectional representation is so important in media and storytelling narratives.

Source: Bloomberg and The Guardian and Reddit