Chess, Book Sales Increase After ‘The Queen’s Gambit’ Premiere



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Sales of chess sets and chess books surged within three weeks of Netflix’s “The Queen’s Gambit” launch, according to a new report from the NPD Group.

The miniseries, which premiered on October 23, saw its total U.S. viewing time jump to 40.8 million hours in its first nine days, NPD said. Meanwhile, the research firm reported that unit sales of chess sets jumped 87% in the United States, while sales of chess books rose 603%.

“The idea that a streaming TV series can impact product sales isn’t new, but we’re finally able to visualize it through data,” said Juli Lennett, advisor at the NPD’s toy industry, in a statement. “Sales of chess books and chess sets, which were previously flat or declining for years, increased sharply as the popular new series gained viewers.”

ONLINE CHESS COURSES SEE RECORD INTEREST AMID THE PANDEMIC AND AFTER THE RELEASE OF NETFLIX’S ‘QUEEN’S GAMBIT’

Data from NPD’s US Retail Tracking Service shows that week-to-week chess sales in the United States were relatively flat for 13 weeks before the show started.

Source: The NPD Group / Retail Tracking Services, US Toys POS; Track video subscription; NPD BookScan, 2020.

A similar increase in sales of chess books was revealed by NPD BookScan, which reported increased sales of printed book units in the United States for Bobby Fischer’s “Bobby Fischer Teaches Chess” titles, “Chess Fundamentals “By Jose Capablanca,” Chess for Kids “by Michael Basman and” The Complete Book of Chess Strategy: Grandmaster Techniques from A to Z “, by Jeremy Silman.

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Set in the 1960s, “The Queen’s Gambit,” based on Walter Tevis’ 1983 novel of the same name, revolves around a young girl named Beth, who reveals an astonishing talent for chess and begins an unlikely journey to life. celebrity while battling addiction. The series stars Anya Taylor-Joy, alongside Marielle Heller, Thomas Brodie-Sangster, Moses Ingram, Harry Melling and Bill Camp.

Beth Harmon, played by Anya Taylor-Joy, faces Townes, played by Jacob Fortune-Lloyd, in “The Queen’s Gambit”. (Photo courtesy of Netflix)

“The Queen’s Gambit” set the record for the most-watched scripted limited series to date on Netflix, with 62 million member accounts logging into the show in the first 28 days.

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