Despite dropping online not even two full weeks ago, Borat Subsequent Moviefilm has already secured its spot as the number two most-watched streaming movie in America this year, just behind the Disney+ release of Hamilton, according to Variety. Considering the wide popularity of the hit Broadway musical, which absolutely dominated streaming charts over the summer, the Borat sequel’s performance is pretty impressive. While there are no raw numbers provided, Variety’s reporting is based on data from VIP by ScreenEngine/ASI, “who surveyed 1,200 U.S. video viewers aged 13-64 weekly on which titles they’ve watched in 7 days following their release.” Here’s how those results played out:
1. Hamilton: The Movie – Disney+
2. Borat Subsequent Moviefilm – Amazon Prime Video
3. My Spy – Amazon Prime Video
4. Extraction – Netflix
5. Phineas & Ferb the Movie: Candace Against the Universe – Disney+
Variety notes that Borat Subsequent Moviefilm‘s success demonstrates that there is “high-demand for premium content among SVOD subscribers, boosting the consumer perception of services able to release titles that make their way to the cultural zeitgeist.” Also, it doesn’t hurt that we’re all stuck at home.
Of course, Borat 2 dominating charts shouldn’t come as a total surprise. Shortly after its debut weekend at the end of October, Amazon told media outlets that the film was viewed by “tens of millions of customers.” The sequel also benefitted from a strong and hilarious social media campaign involving Sacha Baron Cohen in character as Borat. The satirical film also took aim at America’s current political climate, which made Borat a constant fixture in headlines, particularly after the movie’s final scene caught Rudy Giuliani in a very compromising position. After details of the unflattering scene were widely reported, Giuliani repeatedly lost his cool on both social media and Fox News, which only brought more attention to the film.
(Via Variety)