Movies

'Borat 2' Got "Tens Of Millions" Of Viewers On Opening Weekend, According To Amazon

borat 2 viewers
By Hoai-Tran Bui/

Amazon Studios has released some very nice viewership figures for Sacha Baron Cohen's Borat sequel. The predictably polarizing mockumentary sequel to Cohen's 2006 comedy hit, Borat Subsequent Moviefilm may be getting embroiled in many controversies, but it's got the viewing numbers to match: Amazon Studios claims that "tens of millions" of customers viewed Borat 2 on its first weekend.

Amazon Studios is claiming "huge engagement" and "tens of millions" of viewers for Borat Subsequent Moviefilm on its opening weekend, per Deadline.

Amazon rarely reveals viewing data for its shows and movies, but the company was quick to pronounce Borat Subsequent Moviefilm a "great success," adding that more than one million fans tuned into the movie's Facebook watch party Thursday night to interact with Cohen's famous fictional Kazakh journalist and television personality, Borat Sagdiyev. The livestream of Borat Subsequent Moviefilm on Twitch also saw one million viewers.

Jennifer Salke, Head of Amazon Studios said:

"Sacha has masterfully created one of the most well received films of these unprecedented times – showcasing some of the best and the worst of us, wrapped in one outrageous moment after another. But at its core, Borat 2 is a heartwarming story of a father daughter relationship and of female empowerment seen through a hysterical, satirical lens. With the tremendous launch of this global, tentpole movie, it's clear our customers around the world want content that is both relevant and entertaining."

However, Deadline notes that Amazon is likely eager to claim Borat Subsequent Moviefilm a success after the hefty amount of money that the company spent for the rights to the film. The company has been shelling out for the promotional campaign for the movie as well, coordinating various stunts around the world, including giant Borat balloons floating down the Thames in London, the Hudson River in New York, Toronto's Harbourfront, and Praia do Arpoador in Rio. In Sydney, Bondi Beach was transformed into "Borat Beach" populated by Borat lookalikes dressed in the character's "maskinis" shown in the promo ad.

The film received mostly positive reviews, which Amazon has been touting in their ad campaigns as well (including one featuring /Film's Ethan Anderton).

But there's no press like negative press, and Borat Subsequent Moviefilm has received plenty of that as well. A disturbing scene featuring former New York mayor Rudy Giuliani made waves online and in the press, while lawsuits and verbal attacks abound. The numbers will likely grow as people tune in to see what all the fuss is about.

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