Whether you’re drawn to its storytelling, visual appeal, or simply the performance of its characters, Bridgerton certainly is a joy to watch. The engaging storyline set in the Regency Era brings viewers a compelling cast of diverse ethnicities boasting lavishly designed costumes empowered by breathtaking cinematography. Despite the series garnering mixed reviews and having a questionable, family-unfriendly setting, it has amassed a gargantuan audience through social media. 

Now, the concern at hand is that this series is wholeheartedly dedicated (exclusive) to Netflix, which prevents it from being released on other streaming platforms. If you’re one of us who’d much rather buy DVDs than pay for its baronial monthly subscription plans (Standard with ads comes at 7 bucks a month), we reciprocate with you! But is it really possible to watch the series outside of Netflix?

Can you watch Bridgeton without Netflix?

To give you an honest answer, NO, not really – until and unless you are aboard the pirate ship! There are indeed a few piracy websites which possess all the episodes till season 3 (that’s all Netflix has released thus far), but it is advisable to avoid them for a bunch of reasons. To brief, such sites are usually full of dangerous ads, which, if clicked upon, may potentially lead to viruses that poke their way into your system. The site itself may not have verified SSL certificates, posing risks of user exploitation. 

Other than that, as unfortunate as it is, there are no other streaming services available on the World Wide Web that have access to Bridgerton episodes. 

How to watch Bridgeton for free

You may not be able to legally escape the boundaries of Netflix attempting to stream Bridgerton, but there’s certainly a way to watch it for free on Netflix, with a little bit of a catch. 

Sky TV and Netflix have partnered to present users with Sky Stream, a service which combines both of these platforms with a single subscription plan, coming at £31 a month. However, the service offers an astounding free trial of 1 month, which should certainly suffice to watch all three seasons of Bridgerton (binging shouldn’t be so difficult!) before the trial period ends. 

All you have to do is sign in to their service with your credit card credentials (it won’t charge the payment until the trial end date is reached) and make sure to opt out of the trial before it’s over. As simple as that! The service brings you a streaming box the very next day after sign-in, which you may return without any ado (unless you want to keep it, that is).

The only sad news to this approach is the limited list of countries supported by the Sky Group. I’m not exactly sure as to which countries are enlisted at large, but the “Country” selection found at the bottom-right of their website indicates that only the UK and the Republic of Ireland are visibly supported by the service. If you’re not living in any of these countries, luck is not on your side…

• If you live in any of these supported countries, you can visit their website by clicking on this link and signing up for their service to try out this approach.

• If you’re not, perhaps you’re willing to join the pirates. Better not, really.

Will Bridgeton be released on other platforms?

Source: ShockNG

If you’re asking whether the show will be released on other streaming platforms once Netflix no longer feels loved shelving the show on its homepage, it’s advisable to keep your expectations low on that one. 

As commonly depicted by many sources, the series is supposedly the first scripted show from Shondaland for Netflix, which digs the deal for them to tag it their own. Therefore, other streaming services may never see the light of Bridgerton being shed on their platforms, ever… (at least on the legally registered ones, excluding all the pirate ships).

When will Bridgeton season 4 come out

The showrunner of Bridgerton, Jess Brownell, has not yet announced a straightforward answer to the release date for season 4 but has confirmed that the upcoming season is being worked on, and fans may expect it to be released somewhere around late 2026. She commented on the length of time required for shooting, editing and dubbing of the series in an interview with the Hollywood Reporter, which stresses the fact that the delay will be very visible and painful indeed, despite efforts from the team to push on a faster release cycle.

Is Bridgeton worth watching?

The answer to that in a more general sense is an astounding yes! If you hop onto the binge train expecting nothing more than a good-love locomotive, fulfillment is highly guaranteed, and in many cases, you’d be left surprised by how good the show does despite historical inaccuracies pitted into its plot. 

Source: People – Photo by Liam Daniel/Netflix

The characters are lovable, both by the audience and their lovers at play. The visuals are novel, and the colors just sell the era in question very well indeed. The plot is ridiculous, oh, just ridiculous! But it blends nicely with the overall appeal of the Bridgerton series, so who gives?

One of the core reasons Bridgerton has become as popular as it has is its soundtrack—the show literally covers some of the most popular songs in recent times from famous artists and bands like Maroon 5, Taylor Swift, and Ariana Grande. The scenes are surprisingly well reflected in the song lyrics, which gives the soundtrack all the more reason to score high bids in selling the show.

But it is not all chime and merry because Bridgerton, just like any other good ol’ Netflix show, has its flaws. There are too many side characters and too little development for them at stake. The boundaries of relations between differing classes in the show are not too forgiving either. There is just too much of a difference between Penelope and Lady Whistledown. And not to mention, we’re sorry for you Daphne…you’ve done too much for Simon!

If you’re here for it despite all the odd stuff that takes place from time to time, the show will certainly shower you with its goodness. If you’re not willing to forgive its plots for the sake of romance and fine-looking costumes, alas! Where have you come?

Other shows like Bridgeton

Bridgerton is not the only thing in town, you know? There’s tons of other good regency-romance shows with merits of historical accuracy as well as binge-worthy plots. On the plus side of things, many of the shows listed here are found in other streaming platforms too. So get ready with your popcorn and dive right in!

1. Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story

Source: Netflix

While you don’t need to watch Bridgerton just to appreciate Queen Charlotte’s own little mini-series, it is recommended to watch this alongside Bridgerton so you don’t miss out on some of the character developments not shown here. It is basically a prequel extension to the story of Queen Charlotte, and functions as a spin-off to Bridgerton’s own. If you’re hungry for some more Bridgerton having finished all its seasons and episodes, this is the best series to land on next.

2. Mary & George

Source: Starz.com

It is safe to say that this series aligns more with reality and history since the show is based on a true story revolving around a mother and her son starving for power who use despicable methods to climb their way into the English Court. Created by D. C Moore, this television miniseries is explicitly tagged a “Historical Drama”, which should suffice to fulfill viewers left in despair from the lack of historical accuracy in Bridgerton. As worded in Rotten Tomatoes, Mary & George is a “regal treat for fans of frothy court intrigue”.

3. The Buccaneers 

Source: Apple

The Buccaneers is unironically the most Bridgerton-show whilst not being Bridgerton. Despite being called a rip-off, the five close-knit American socialites sailing across the sea to find potential partners in London’s marriage market has its own charm on the take. It was produced by The Forge Entertainment, exclusively for Apple TV+, so make sure you have that if you wanna give it a go!

Conclusion

Bridgerton may not be available for streaming outside of Netflix without a pirate ride, but it certainly is worth giving a shot if you’re okay with their subscription plans. While some claim that The Bridgerton Effect has started to wear off after Season 3’s debut, the show certainly has a lot more coming, from the blossoming of Pen and Colin’s romance to that of Francesca’s – the show is no short of progress and yearning.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. Is it okay to watch Queen Charlotte before Bridgerton?

It is certainly okay to watch Queen Charlotte independently, devoid of any past Bridgerton experience since it is solely a prequel to the life of Queen Charlotte’s discovery of love with King George and the uprise of the Bridgerton Universe. Nevertheless, this show is made assuming you have prior knowledge from Bridgerton, so it is ideal to have it alongside the main dish, preferably after finishing the second season of Bridgerton.

2. Is Bridgerton based on a book?

Yes, Bridgerton is based on the book series by Julia Quinn, released from 2000 to 2006. However, there are major differences between the TV series and the books, with season 1 being an exception. Starting from season 2, many things have been changed in contrast to the books, from character names to the timing & pacing of events all the way to how Queen Charlotte plays a significant role in the show, unlike in the books where she’s hardly ever present. 

3. Has Bridgerton season 4 started filming?

Bridgerton season 4 received an announcement video last month on Netflix’s official YouTube channel. The production listing suggests that the actual filming will start in September 2024. It was rumored that filming would commence in June this year, but until the announcement, there were no signs of production.