First Lady Showdown: Michelle Obama’s 2020 Netflix Documentary Gains Popularity Alongside Melania’s Debut Weekend

The recent release of Amazon’s documentary *Melania* has ignited renewed interest in former first ladies, particularly Michelle Obama. According to Luminate, viewership for Netflix’s *Becoming*, which premiered in May 2020, soared dramatically over the weekend.

From January 30 to February 1, *Becoming* experienced a staggering 13,300% increase in total viewing minutes, reaching 47.5 million minutes compared to just 354,000 minutes the weekend before.

This spike translates to over 480,000 total streaming views last weekend. While this number appears modest in comparison to Netflix’s typical viewership figures, it marks a significant increase from the few hundred to few thousand views the documentary garnered on many January days.

The surge in interest coincided with the release of *Melania* in theaters. Luminate’s data indicates that *Becoming* accrued around 1 million viewing minutes (approximately 9,500 views) on January 30, before skyrocketing to 13.9 million minutes (about 140,000 views) on January 31. Viewership peaked on February 1 with 32.7 million views, equating to just over 330,000 views. The positive trend continued with millions of additional minutes viewed on February 2 and 3.

Directed by Brett Ratner, *Melania* achieved the highest opening weekend for a non-fiction feature in the past decade, grossing $7 million upon its debut. The film focuses on Melania Trump in the 20 days leading up to her husband Donald Trump’s second inauguration last January.

Despite this impressive opening, it is important to note that the film was shown in 1,800 theaters, thus creating potential for a gross of at least $30 million. Given its production costs, including $40 million for licensing and $35 million for marketing, the debut may not be sufficient to label it a financial success. How it performs once it becomes available on Amazon’s Prime Video remains to be seen.

*Becoming*, directed by Nadia Hallgren, offers an intimate glimpse into Michelle Obama’s life both during and after her husband’s two terms in office. The documentary covers the *Becoming* book tour, which captivated audiences, including a stop at New York’s Barclays Center with 19,000 attendees. Published in 2018 by Crown, the book quickly became that year’s bestselling title.