When it comes to new content released on Disney+ this year, Hamilton crushed the competition, outperforming original films like Mulan and even TV shows with loyal followings like The Mandalorian. Hamilton’s July 3 release on Disney+ drew millions of viewers, including both longtime fans of the Broadway musical and newcomers to the national phenomenon. The film’s release date, subject matter, availability and buzz all contributed to its sweeping victory over new releases on Disney+ and other streaming services like Netflix, Hulu and Prime Video.
Hamilton, a 160-minute live recording of Lin-Manuel Miranda’s original stage production, was originally slated to premiere in movie theaters October 15, 2021. The release was expected to be one of the biggest box office events of the year following the 2020 release of In the Heights, another adaptation of a Miranda musical. After the coronavirus pandemic shut down movie theaters nationwide, however, Miranda made a surprise announcement that the long-awaited film adaptation of Hamilton — portraying performances by Hamilton‘s original cast — would premiere more than a year early, and on Disney+. Hamilton and In the Heights essentially swapped release windows, with Hamilton pushed up to release on Disney+ on July 3 and In the Heights pushed back to premiere in theaters in 2021.
One of the reasons for Hamilton’s success on Disney+ was that it premiered in the midst of COVID-19, as Broadway productions and tours were canceled, movie theaters were closed and people were stuck at home in lockdown. Big summer releases that had been highly anticipated were postponed indefinitely, leaving many people desperate for new entertainment. Another hook for Hamilton was the fact that the film was available for free to anyone with Disney+, no tickets necessary. Since the movie was widely available, it not only drew in diehard fans but also people who had been hearing buzz about the Tony-award winning musical since 2015.
Throughout July, the first month Hamilton premiered, the film drew an unprecedented 37.1% of viewers in a survey of 15,000-25,000 U.S. households. It beat out new releases on Netflix and other streaming services by more than 20% — including Frozen 2 — then went on to top Mulan’s viewership in September (10.1%), and The Mandalorian season 2’s viewership in November (29.2%). The Mandalorian provided the most competition for Hamilton, but the musical far exceeded viewership of other new movies and TV shows, including The Boys (14.4% in September) and The Umbrella Academy (19.7% in August).
With so many new theatrical releases postponed this summer, accompanied by a pandemic spreading across the globe, it’s no surprise that viewers found comfort in a familiar musical about an immigrant overcoming desperate circumstances. With so much doom and gloom in the real world, Hamilton offered an escape from tragedy and political dysfunction. The musical shows a man with noble ideals striving to build a better country, which was particularly relevant this year. The idea resonated with people hard, directly echoing the Black Lives Matter protests happening all across the country at the exact same time.
Hamilton wasn’t provided with much serious competition in terms of Disney+’s other big, original content this year. The experimental release of Mulan in September was hindered when Disney+ charged an additional fee for subscribers, and other big-budget original movies such as Onward or Artemis Fowl simply didn’t offer the same quality. The Mandalorian continued to draw excited fans but wasn’t as shiny and new or relevant as Hamilton. After so many delays and postponements, however, next year is likely to provide much steeper competition for the top spot in streaming. In addition to Disney+’s slate of new Marvel TV shows — WandaVision, The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, and Loki, to name a few — other streaming services also have some new tricks up their sleeves.
