Harry Potter at Home Initiatives Inspire Millions of Fans to Reconnect with “Harry Potter”
In the film adaptation of Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, Dumbledore declares that “Happiness can be found even in the darkest of times, if only one remembers to turn on the light,” and the Harry Potter series continues to bring joy and comfort to millions of fans around the world. The last few months have been deeply trying for Potter fans, but the Harry Potter at Home initiatives have been successful in uniting the fandom once again, according to a press release from Wizarding World Digital.
New statistics from Wizarding World Digital have revealed just how wildly popular the initiatives were with fans, with digital book sales, video views, and audio listens topping over 37 million between March and July. In particular, the worldwide reread of Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s/Sorcerer’s Stone, which was led by celebrity fans, Fantastic Beasts actors, and Potter alumni, garnered massive popularity across the globe, with fans enjoying it over 30 million times across multiple platforms. Furthermore, over 4.5 million people listened to Philosopher’s/Sorcerer’s Stone on Alexa as part of Audible’s free Alexa Listening Event, and the hashtag #HarryPotterAtHome trended globally on the launch day of the chapter readings in May.
The initiatives have also had a positive impact on the sales of the Harry Potter books, which we previously reported were in a precarious state due to the drop in demand for Bloomsbury’s paper products. Despite lockdowns being implemented in many countries, the Harry Potter books soared to #1 on the New York Times best-seller list for children’s series, and Scholastic’s physical sales of Sorcerer’s Stone doubled. Digital sales have seen a boost too, since Philosopher’s/Sorcerer’s Stone rose to top spots on Amazon’s chart list and Audible’s best-seller list. Additionally, 1 million people borrowed the first book of the Potter series online in only two months from libraries in the United Kingdom and the United States via the unlimited access granted to libraries with partners, including Overdrive.
Finally, to top it all off, countless new fans have joined the community as a result of the Harry Potter at Home campaign. Over 7 million people visited its website, and 18 million fans are now signed up to the Harry Potter Fan Club.
Through the darkest of times, Harry was a source of courage for many characters. Similarly, in the Muggle world, we are grateful that the Harry Potter at Home initiatives have helped fans relive the magic of Harry Potter and reconnect with a series that we all love dearly.
