Netflix reveals The Crown viewing figures

A total of 73 million households worldwide have watched royal drama The Crown since it began in 2016, BBC News reports, citing figures released by Netflix.

It's the first time the streaming giant has revealed viewing data for the series about the British monarchy.

The third season, which stars Olivia Colman as the Queen, was watched in 21 million homes in its first four weeks.over the same time period, Netflix said.

The company's chief content officer Ted Sarandos said the figures proved The Crown's "popularity grows with each new season".

Colman replaced Claire Foy as Queen Elizabeth II after the second season.

"Seventy-three million households around the world have made The Crown part of the global cultural zeitgeist," Sarandos said.

The only other show for which Netflix has revealed overall viewing data is Orange is the New Black, which reached 105 million homes over its first six seasons.