Netflix Presents the Research "From Screen to Page: The Impact of Audiovisual Media on Publishing and Italian Readers"

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Series and films are a powerful growth engine for publishing, with Netflix at the forefront of driving reader discovery and engagement. This is the picture that emerges from the study carried out by NIQ for Netflix, titled “"From Screen to Page: The Impact of Audiovisual Media on Publishing and Italian Readers"”, which for the first time analyses in an integrated way – using a quantitative approach – the impact of entertainment productions not only on book sales but also on readers’ behaviours and consumption patterns. It highlights the increasingly central role  shows and movies play in the strengthening of the entire publishing ecosystem in Italy. The study was presented at the Turin International Book Fair, during a panel organised in collaboration with the Italian Publishers Association (AIE).

The quantitative analysis, covering 187 series and films distributed via TV and streaming services between 2022 and 2025 and on the 2,403 associated book titles, shows an immediate and significant impact on book sales. In the first four weeks after the adaptation’s launch, there is an average sales increase of 197% in the corresponding book, and this uplift remains high in the following weeks (+120% in the first 16 weeks and +64% over an extended period of 44 weeks). This effect unfolds across all phases of the series’ or film’s release – from pre‑launch to the post‑release tail – demonstrating the ability of entertainment not only to generate spikes but also to sustain interest over time. The impact is particularly evident for “niche” titles, which can jump more than 600%, demonstrating the screen’s ability to help audiences discover lesser‑known literary works. In terms of genres, romance leads growth (+829%), followed by contemporary fiction (+405%), fantasy and science fiction (+169%), and thrillers/crime (+133%), confirming that screen adaptations boost visibility and sales across different genres.

A key factor concerns the role of backlist titles: In the first weeks, already‑published books account for around 87% of the total growth in sales. This shows that shows and movies  not only push new releases but can also reignitee interest in and add value to existing publishing catalogues.

Looking at specific cases among Netflix series and films, different dynamics of catalogue enhancement emerge. The Leopard represents a case of rediscovering a great classic, in which the combination of communication, the quality of theproduction and word of mouth generates a strong increase in interest in the novel (published in Italy by Feltrinelli Editore) even before release – up to 602% – and a very high peak in the following weeks – more than +1,180% in the week after the series launch – with sales remaining consistently above baseline levels in the following months. 

All Quiet on the Western Front shows instead how an adaptation can bring a literary work back to the centre of the contemporary cultural debate: with the film’s release, sales of the novel (published in Italy by Neri Pozza) increased by up to about 271% at the peak – recorded in the week after the film’s debut – while the topical nature of its themes and international awards recognition helped sustain interest over time, with figures remaining above baseline in the following months. 

Finally, Bridgerton stands out as an emblematic example of progressive value building through seriality. Over a period of more than five years, the various seasons of the series have followed one another with different but complementary roles: initially they helped transform the literary saga (published in Italy by Mondadori) into a best seller, generating explosive uplifts; subsequently they played a role in sustaining and regenerating demand, consolidating sales levels that are many times higher than before the series’ 2020 premiere. The new seasons have not just generated temporary sales peaks; they have broadened and strengthened over time an ever‑growing reader base, helping to turn Bridgerton into a true evergreen phenomenon.

Among streaming services, Netflix stands out as a major driver of literary discovery, showing higher sales increases of books on which its adaptations are based than the average increase across all streaming services, both at and after launch.

Alongside sales results, from the consumers’ point of view, the analysis – conducted on a sample of 1,500 individuals representative of the population of readers and book buyers in Italy – shows a profound impact on reading behaviours. Today, the path to discovering books runs across multiple channels, with entertainment playing an increasingly central role in activating interest and guiding choices. Series and films are confirmed as the second most important source for book discovery (29%), right after bookshops and physical displays (38%) and followed by word of mouth (23%), highlighting the growing weight of entertainment in shaping reading choices.

The motivations behind these behaviours are closely linked to the narrative dimension: 68% of readers say they read in order to discover the differences between the book and the screen adaptation, while a similar share seeks greater depth in characters and plot or wishes to extend the experience they had with the series or film. This demonstrates the complementarity between reading and entertainment experience, which become natural extensions of one another.

Series and films are also confirmed as a powerful driver of reader activation: 66% of respondents state that they have purchased at least one book after watching the series or film it is based on, showing a strong ability to convert viewing into purchase. At the same time, 51% would like to see a greater offer of adaptations, indicating substantial growth potential for this ecosystem.

“Stories are at the heart of our editorial strategy: we bring to the screen films and series capable of engaging and moving audiences. Books have always been one of the richest sources for our film and TV production. That’s why we chose to rigorously analyse a relationship that is often perceived intuitively: the one between the written page and audiovisual content. The study clearly shows that the dialogue between publishing and entertainment, through adaptations, increases the visibility of titles and authors and allows them to reach new audiences. Written storytelling and visual storytelling reinforce each other, creating a virtuous complementarity and accompanying audiences through a narrative experience that continues beyond reading and viewing. In this context, Netflix confirms its role as one of the main engines of discovery and enhancement of publishing within the audiovisual sector,” said Tinny Andreatta, Vice President of Italian Content at Netflix.

“The results of the study clearly confirm the strong complementarity between books and audiovisual content, a synergy already known to the industry but which here emerges with surprising intensity. What is striking is not only the immediate effect, but also the continuity of the impact over time and the breadth of the behaviours activated: from purchasing to rediscovering books already owned, from reading other titles by the same author to exploring related genres. The study shows that the screen does not replace the book, but amplifies its cultural and commercial value, becoming a powerful engine of discovery and enhancement, strengthening the narrative experience and opening up concrete strategic opportunities for the entire publishing chain,” stated Vincenzo Mastrofilippo, Customer Success Leader Book at NIQ.

“Book publishing, as a factory of stories, is at the centre of cultural production, and this study clearly shows how audiovisual content is an important tool for fully leveraging publishers’ catalogues, in some cases multiplying or even tripling the sales of the titles involved. As the Research Office of the Italian Publishers Association, in the past we conducted studies on individual titles and specific publishing cases, and it was clear to us how important the synergies between films, TV series and books were; the study commissioned by Netflix clearly shows how this effect of mutual reinforcement has now become systematic,” concluded Giovanni Peresson, Head of the Research Office at AIE.