‘King of Staten Island’ Continues Universal’s VOD Dominance as ‘Eurovision’ Scores at Netflix
Tom Brueggemann
Two months ago, Universal CEO Jeff Shell told Wall Street that it took “Trolls World Tour” less than two weeks to gross $95 million on premium VOD. This week, on the four top 10 lists we track, that studio holds 17 of the 40 slots.
“Trolls” and Judd Apatow’s “The King of Staten Island” both landed at no. 1 at two sites, all at the premium $19.99 price. “Trolls” transitioned to EST (electronic sell through), as opposed to rental only, which got the animated sequel the no. 1 slot at iTunes (it doesn’t list rental-only titles) and Fandango. “Staten Island” is no. 2 at Fandango, and no. 1 at Spectrum.
Also showing traction is Universal’s “You Should Have Left,” which is third at both Spectrum and FandangoNow (its rental-only status precludes iTunes; Amazon Prime shows less interest). Jon Stewart’s badly reviewed “Irresistible” placed fourth at FandangoNow (which ranks by revenues, not transactions). Since it was only released on Friday and their chart is a full week, it’s not a discouraging showing.
Oddball new titles include “Sea Fever,” an Irish film that Gunpowder & Sky acquired from the 2019 Toronto International Film Festival. The story of an Icelandic trawler encountering a parasite had a normal VOD release in April, but it’s now at a reduced 99-cent price; it’s at no. 3 at iTunes. Sony’s “Sniper: Assassin’s End,” the eighth entry in the franchise is no. 4 at Spectrum, which often sees high interest in action thrillers. Lionsgate’s “2 Minutes of Fame” from their production partner Codeblack placed no. 10 there. It stars former “Saturday Night Live” comic Jay Pharoah as a YouTube star trying to expand on his success.
VOD charts have a crapshoot element that we don’t see in theatrical box office. In theaters, all movies have the same price; variations stem from timing (matinees) or formats (IMAX, 3D). VOD titles can play a complex per-title pricing game that can see 99-cent movies get a boost on transaction charts. Viewers also have a nearly unlimited library to choose from, which is how the Christmas 2017 release “The Greatest Showman” can hold the no. 2 slot at Amazon Prime. The Hugh Jackman circus musical has been a presence for months.
At Netflix, Will Ferrell’s “Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga” debuted to no. 1 on both the movie and all content charts. It knocked off the Polish softcore “365 Days” after an extended 14 days at the top. These two Netflix originals are joined at no. 3 by “Athlete A,” a documentary about sexual assaults on female gymnasts.
Of note is the absence in its third week of “Da 5 Bloods,” the streamer’s most acclaimed film this year. It had two days as the no. 1 movie, but did not sustain a position after 11 days. As always, we have no specific numbers, nor listing beyond the ten leaders, so the film could easily getting steady viewing and remain a strong draw far longer than current leading titles. Or it may be that there is so much viewing at the site that what would once as a well-reviewed original from a top director have charted higher now lags a bit.
Amazon Prime
Ranked by number of transactions, with the daily position as of Monday, June 29
1. The King of Staten Island (Universal) – $19.99
2. The Greatest Showman (Disney) – $3.99
3. Trolls World Tour (Universal) – $19.99
4. Jumanji: The Next Level (Sony) – $5.99
5. Sonic the Hedgehog (Paramount) – $3.99
6. Bloodshot (Sony) – $5.99
7. Game Night (Warner Bros.) – $3.99
8. Bad Boys for Life (Sony) – $5.99
9. The Gentlemen (STX) – $5.99
10. Apollo 13 (Universal) – $3.99
FandangoNOW
Ranked by revenue accrued not transactions, for the week ending Monday, June 29
1. Trolls World Tour (Universal) – $19.99
2. The King of Staten Island (Universal) – $19.99
3. You Should Have Left (Universal) – $19.99
4. Irresistible (Focus) – $19.99
5. Scoob! (Warner Bros.) – $19.99
6. The Invisible Man (Universal) – $5.99
7. Sonic the Hedgehog (Paramount) – $4.99
8. Bad Boys for Life (Sony) – $4.99
9. The Hunt (Universal) – $5.99
10. Jumanji: The Next Level (Sony) – $3.99
Spectrum
Ranked by transactions for June 19 – 25; all $6.99 except as noted
1. The King of Staten Island (Universal) – $19.99
2. The Invisible Man (Universal)
3. You Should Have Left (Universal) – $19.99
4. Sniper: Assassin’s End (Sony)
5. Sonic the Hedgehog (Paramount)
6. Bad Boys for Life (Sony)
7. The Hunt (Universal)
8. Onward (Disney)
9. Fantasy Island (Sony)
10. 2 Minutes of Fame (Lionsgate)
iTunes
Ranked by number of transactions, with the daily position as of Monday, June 29; excludes premium VOD rental-only titles
1. Trolls World Tour (Universal) – $19.99
2. Jumanji: The Next Level (Sony) – $3.99
3. Sea Fever (Gunpowder & Sky) – $0.99
4. The Invisible Man (Universal) – $5.99
5. The Gentleman (STX) – $5.99
6. 1917 (Universal) – $5.99
7. Crazy Stupid Love (Warner Bros.) – $3.99
8. The Hunt (Universal) – $5.99
9. The Assistant (Bleecker Street) – $5.99
10. Once Upon a Time in Hollywood (Sony) – $7.99
Netflix Movies
Most-viewed, current ranking as of Monday, June 29
1. Eurovision (2020 Netflix original)
2. 365 Days (2020 Polish Netflix original)
3. Athlete A (2020 Nertflix documentary original)
4. The Nut Job (2014 theatrical release)
5. Feel the Beat (2020 Netflix original)
6. Love (2015 French theatrical release)
7. The Lost Bullet (2020 Netflix French original)
8. Despiscable Me 2 (2013 theatrical release)
9. Baby Mama (2008 theatrical release)
10. Undercover Grandpa (2017 Canadian theatrical release)
