Since its debut in early 2022, “The Gilded Age” has quietly built a solid foundation for Max. Parrot Analytics’ Streaming Economics model estimates the show has delivered just over $70 million in global streaming revenue for the platform as of the first quarter of the year. Yet when viewed alongside its spiritual predecessor, “Downton Abbey,” it’s clear that the newer series has significant ground to cover before matching the financial performance of Julian Fellowes’s flagship drama.
“Downton Abbey,” which aired from 2010 to 2015, has proven that exceptional storytelling can outlive its original broadcast run by years. Since 2020, the series has generated more than $300 million in global revenue across major streaming platforms. Remarkably, even without fresh episodes, it continues to regularly pull in over $15 million each quarter, a testament to its enduring appeal. This sustained performance has been helped in part by two movie spinoffs —“Downton Abbey” (2019) and “Downton Abbey: A New Era” (2022). Each of these movies has helped drive audiences back to the original series.
The impact of “A New Era” illustrates the potential of franchise extensions: by comparing the actual streaming revenue earned by the original show during the two quarters surrounding the film’s release to a straight‑line estimate of what the series would have earned otherwise, we see an incremental $16 million in streaming revenue for Prime Video and Netflix—a pure spillover effect. By contrast, the film itself has amassed $12 million on streaming platforms. In other words, the sequel drove more value back into the core property than it generated on its own.
“The Gilded Age” has yet to see a quarter where it brings in over $10 million for Max, though its growth curve remains promising. To date, “The Gilded Age” has generated over $70 million in streaming revenue for Max. As the platform continues its global expansion and viewers tune in to the newly released third season, those quarterly totals are almost certain to rise. If “The Gilded Age” hopes to come close to the success of “Downton Abbey,” it may help to borrow from its predecessor’s playbook to reignite interest in earlier seasons long after their premiere windows have closed.
Franchise spillover isn’t just a happy byproduct, it is an investment strategy. When a new installment drives greater revenue to existing catalog entries than it earns directly, the calculus shifts. Studios no longer need to justify sequels solely on their standalone box office or streaming returns. As long as they re-invigorate the broader IP, the return on investment can be exceptional.
That inverted logic transformed “Downton Abbey” from a concluded TV series into a multi‑pronged franchise that continues to pay dividends nearly a decade after its finale. The parallels between the two Fellowes dramas are unmistakable: the grand estates, the intricate social hierarchies and sumptuous costuming. Yet the financial trajectories have diverged. For “The Gilded Age” to replicate “Downton Abbey’s” success, Max must leverage every tool available, including global rollouts, targeted marketing spikes around new content drops and potential theatrical collaborations to keep the audience engaged across multiple seasons and beyond.
If history is any guide, “The Gilded Age’s” story is just beginning. With a strategic franchise playbook and the right audience‑activation tactics, it could one day match or even surpass the streaming revenue of its predecessor, proving that in the streaming era, a well‑executed period drama can become a perennial revenue engine.
