Netflix’s Book-to-Screen Adaptations Drive Massive Surge in Novel Sales and Audiobook Listens in 2025-2026

Netflix’s adaptation of ‘People We Meet on Vacation’ has sparked a dramatic surge in interest for Emily Henry’s romance novel, with global audiobook listens on Spotify jumping by 515% following the film’s premiere. The novel also reclaimed a spot on The New York Times bestsellers list and saw a 97% increase in sales across all formats within the first two weeks of the movie’s release.

The Emily Bader and Tom Blyth-led adaptation is one of Netflix’s many successful book-to-screen projects over the past two years, contributing to a broader trend of literary works gaining renewed popularity through streaming.

Netflix’s Book-Based Content Dominates Global Viewership in 2025

In 2025, Netflix reported that book-based titles accounted for over 9 billion global views and nearly 20% of all hours watched on the platform. The streamer shared these figures on Thursday in celebration of World Book Day. The success of these adaptations has continued into 2026, with new or returning book-based titles appearing on Netflix’s Global Top 10 lists every week during the first 13 weeks of the year. So far in 2026, Netflix has debuted adaptations from 14 different countries.

Other Netflix Adaptations See Similar Boosts in Audiobook and Book Sales

‘People We Meet on Vacation’ is not the only adaptation to experience a surge in audiobook listens. The thriller ‘His Hers’, starring Tessa Thompson and Jon Bernthal, saw a 494% increase in Spotify listens after its limited series premiered. Alice Feeney’s novel also climbed to the No. 15 spot on Amazon’s bestseller list.

Jennifer Iacopelli’s sports drama ‘Finding Her Edge’ has also benefited from its Netflix adaptation. The announcement of the series led to 13 new international translation deals for the novel, and the paperback version—featuring a Netflix-inspired cover—has already sold 500% more copies than the original hardcover. The book has also seen a 990% increase in global listens on Spotify and a 1300% rise in global searches.

Julia May Jonas’ ‘Vladimir’ experienced a 130% increase in sales in the first quarter of 2026 compared to total sales in 2025. In the U.K., the miniseries adaptation of Agatha Christie’s ‘The Seven Dials Mystery’ led to a quadruple lift in sales for the original book. Similarly, Season 4 of ‘Bridgerton’ resulted in sales of the Julia Quinn novel series tripling.

Even Announcements Drive Sales Before Premieres

Netflix adaptations don’t need to premiere for their source material to see a boost. After the streamer released its first look announcement for Shelby Van Pelt’s ‘Remarkably Bright Creatures’, sales of the novel nearly doubled. The book, which follows the story of an octopus too smart for its own good, has now surpassed 4 million copies sold.